Pokemon: Clover
by The 3rd dragneel
Summary: In the world of Black Clover, magic and Pokemon live in harmony. The story of a magicless boy and his Scorbunny as they work to become the next Wizard King and Pokemon Master. How will they handle a world that looks down on them? Up to generation 8. Asta x Harem. Slightly smarter Asta.
1. Chapter 1: Two boys, two Pokemon

**So… I guess I'm the first to officially do this, huh? A Black Clover x Pokemon crossover. Honestly, I guess this is the year of Pokemon for me. First Poketail(Fairy Tail x Pokemon), My Pokemon Academia(My Hero Academia x Pokemon) and now this. Honestly, I need to go to a therapist or something because I cannot freaking stop making new story ideas. Then again, it shows how much creativity I have in my brain(however small it is.) **

**But regardless, I though I should put this out for everyone and see if it's worth keeping around. It worked with Into the Batverse and Friends Like Us(check those stories out, they are pretty damn entertaining.) Still, maybe this story will catch your eye or you'll probably tell me to end this right away.**

**But before this gets underway, a few rules I should make for this story.**

**1\. Pokemon are capable of using magic, hence why they can use moves so freely.**

**2\. There will be some people who will catch Mythical Pokemon, not legendaries like Dialga, Xerneas and such will NOT be caught. Even the Wizard King won't have any legendaries that big.**

**3\. Most of what happens in Canon will happen, though obviously with the addition of the Pokemon, things are bound to change(this won't FULLY be a copy and paste.)**

**4\. Of course, since it's happening in the show, Asta will grow an unintentional harem, though I will make him somewhat smarter to know this.**

**5\. I would like to have each character possessing at least 4 Pokemon of the same type as if their own team revolves around 1 certain type, that would be kinda boring.**

**6\. In this story, you can still join a Magic Knight Squad if you have a Pokemon, though your rank will depend on your cooperation and how much you can do.**

**7\. All Pokemon up to Generation 8 are eligible to appear.**

**8\. I will have Pokemon talk in this story, but humans can't understand them. Magical beings like Bell can understand what they're saying, though. **

**9\. The idea of a Pokemon Master in this story is someone who is able to connect with ALL Pokemon, not someone who wins the Pokemon League, which doesn't exist in this story.**

**More will be explained as the story goes on, so there won't be TOO much exposition.**

**And with that out of the way… time to dive in!**

_The world._

_A great sphere full of life and magic._

_For years, mankind has been using magic to create the foundation of everyday life. Whether it'd be with hard labor or something as simple as a light in the darkness. Magic was life for everyone._

_However, there was another kind of species in the world. One that resembled the wildlife, yet also possessed some intelligence._

_These creatures are known as Pokemon._

_Like humans, they were capable of using magic and are divided into 18 different types: fire, water, electric, grass, flying, bug, psychic, dark, ghost, ice, ground, rock, poison, fighting, normal, steel, fairy and dragon. _

_Some Pokemon live with humans as pets, yet many also live with them like partners, helping each other in any way they can. There have even been some Pokemon who were known to be as strong or even stronger as the Magic Knights: mages who are appointed by the Wizard King to help safeguard the kingdom. These 'Legendary Pokemon' are rare to see, though some have claimed to have come into contact with them._

_But little does anyone know, a pair of young boys from a poor village would bring upon change to the kingdom of Clover, along with their Pokemon._

'_Hage Village, morning'_

If one was to talk about the village of Hage, they would most likely ask why such a village would be brought up. Like many other villages far from the capital of Clover, Hage was seen as nothing more than a land for the poor to live in. But, despite the low income, the people who live in hage aren't necessarily bad. In fact, many of them are okay with living a simple life.

"Okay, now we just need to dig up some holes for the seeds to grow out of." One of the villagers said while using his magic to lift a hoe telepathically. It stabbed the ground before pulling some dirt back and repeating. A large golem like Pokemon stood next to him, using its giant arms to dig as well. "What do you think, Golurk? Think we'll have a good harvest?"

"(I think so)." The Pokemon responded, though to his human friend, he simply said his name.

"With all the work we've been doing, it's bound to be a good one." Another villager said before summoning an orb of water in his hands and throwing it in the air. The orb them burst as a small amount of rain fell on the ground.

"SISTER LILY!" A loud yell echoed through Hage village, catching everyone's attention.

"What the hell was that?" The second villager asked, only for his friend to scoff.

"It's probably that kid from the church." He said in annoyance, with his Golurk nodding as well.

"One day, I'll be the Wizard King and Pokemon Master! And I promise that when I do, I'll make you the happiest woman in the world!" The one yelling out this declaration was a young man, not much older than fifteen, with spiky ash blonde hair with a single strand hanging on his forehead and green eyes. His outfit consists of a plain-white tunic with a V-shaped collar underneath a dark blue jacket whose sleeves extend only up to his elbows. He sports a pair of matching shorts which have stitch marks on the left side. His pants also extend just below his knees. His shoes are made out of two different cloths, the parts covering his ankles, the soles the same color as his jacket and pants. The parts covering his toes are white, a vertical stitch mark going from the bridge to his toes. On his head in a black bandana with a red four pointed star with stitches on the back. "That's why I'm asking you…" The boy then got on one knee, presenting a pink flower. "Will you please marry me?!"

"Oh, ummm… I'm sorry Asta, but I can't." The woman in front of him said with a nervous smile. She was a young woman with dark blue hair. Her bangs parted to the sides, with more on the left side of her forehead and covering most of her left brow. She has large, kind teal eyes, lined with long lashes. She has relatively pale skin and a black beauty mark under her left eye. She wore a simple nun's attire with a gold cross on a gold bead necklace. "It's my duty to serve everyone, not just you." This caused Asta to fall back in shock… not that it should surprise him, given how many times he had been rejected.

"(Shesh, Asta. You really gotta let her go.)" A new voice called out while patting Asta's head. However, unlike the other two, this one was not human. It was a rabbit-like Pokémon that has a predominantly white body with orange and yellow markings on its ears, toes, and neck. It has buck teeth, an orange nose and irises, as well as a yellow band-shape across its nose. It has long legs with long feet and the same yellow band on its nose under each paw pad.

"There's no way I'm giving up, and you know it, Scorbunny!" Asta declared at his Pokemon/best friend, kicking himself up while giving Lily a determined expression.

"You should, really. Please, Asta." Lily said as gently as possible. She knew how kind Asta was, but this was getting rather excessive.

"(Listen to her, Asta. Even I feel creeped out)." Scorbunny said with a flat tone. However, Asta then got on his hands and knees and slammed his head on the ground rapidly. "(You're not a Dodrio)!"

"PLEASE, SISTER LILY! MARRY ME!" Asta exclaimed in a fast tone, slamming his head on the ground even faster.

"Forgive me." Lily said in a sad tone before she reached into her side, pulling out a small sphere, half of it was red while the other half was white. Focusing just a bit of magic into it, the ball enlarged to the size of her palm. Scorbunny, noticing this, hopped a few feet to the side, not wanting to be in the literal splash zone. "Please help me, Alomomola!" She then threw the ball in the air, causing it to open and release a bright white light. The light soon took form in the shape of a pink fish-like Pokemon with a heart shaped body and fins. Once the Pokemon was out, Lily took out her grimoire, which was blue like the ocean before flipping through the pages and finding the spell she needed. "Water Creation Magic: Water Cradle!" A large bubble of water appeared in the air, allowing Alomomola to enter it so she wouldn't suffocate.

"(You asked for me, Lily)?" Alomomola asked before she looked ahead, noticing Asta still bowing his head. "(Oh, he's at it again?)"

"(Hey, Alomomola. Could you try being a little more gentle with him this time)?" Scorbunny asked the Caring Pokemon, who gave a simple blank expression.

"(Normally, I wouldn't resort to violence)." Alomoloa said calmly… before she leaped out of Lily's Water Cradle, heading straight towards Asta as he raised his head.

"Sister Lil-"

*SLAP*SLAP*SLAP*

Before he could finish, the water type Pokemon proceeded to slap him as hard as she would with her fins. "(I will not condone any displeasure towards Lily)!" She shouted, increasing the amount of slaps she was giving Asta, via Wake-Up Slap. All Asta could do was groan with each slap to his cheek, a dumbfounded look on his face. "(And now… WATER PULSE)!" With one last slap, Alomomola leaped into the air, charging a small sphere of water before she launched it at Asta. The young boy couldn't react in time as he was struck on the head with the powerful water type attack, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Oh no, I think we overdid it!" Lily, being the ever so caring woman she was, said with a loud gasp, staring at the seemingly unconscious Asta.

"(It's his fault for not learning)." Alomomola said with a scoff, landing back in the Water Cradle. Lily sighed before aiming the ball at her Pokemon, causing it to shoot her with a red beam of light before she returned inside of it.

"I'm so sorry, Asta! I wasn't thinking, and Alomomola just used Water Pulse without my permission!" Lily apologized, but got no response.

"Nice sister, way to go." Lily looked up to see two young children, a girl with red hair and a boy with short tan hair, walk up to her. The girl was clapping her hands while complimenting her.

"Show him no mercy." The younger boy said blankly with his hands behind his head.

"But… I didn't mean to." Lily tried explaining with an embarrassed blush. She would never go out of her way to actually HURT Asta, but he was coming on too strong and it just made her snap a little.

"(Don't worry. He needed a bath, anyways)." Scorbunny said sagely while patting Asta's head. "(Now, will you stop so we can-)"

"WE'RE NOT DONE HERE!" Much to everyone's shock, Asta suddenly jumped in the air, with Scorbunny hanging on his head as he lunged at Lily. Those attacks weren't nothing when it came to his determination for Sister Lily.

"(WHY)?!" Scorbunny shouted in distress, trying to pull Asta's head back via hair grabbing. Yet due to his small size, the fire type couldn't do anything.

However, before Asta(and Scorbunny for that matter) could reach Sister Lily, a sudden gust of wind struck them on the head, slamming them onto the ground. Both Asta and Scorbunny groaned in pain while the others merely sweatdropped.

"You really should stop, Asta. It isn't good for you." A calm, cool voice spoke up from behind. The newcomer was a young man of average height with a lean build, amber eyes, and messy black hair. His main outfit consists of a pitch-black shirt with a high collar and long sleeves. The sleeves have brown leather that cover the wrists and upper arms. He wears light brown pants that are cut below his knees and, around his waist, a pair of brown belts that cross each other. Additionally, he wears a pair of dark-colored socks and a pair of boots. Around his neck was a necklace with a blue magic stone that had a cross in the center and four pointed stars.

Next to the newcomer's legs were a young girl and a much younger little boy, who seemed a little scared at what was happening.

Asta, recovering from the sudden attack, stood up and rushed in front of the other teen, though the height difference made his attempt to intimidate him useless.

"Why are you sticking your nose into this, Yuno?!" Asta shouted at his 'brother', who simply looked at him with a blank expression.

"That's simple, really." Yuno said while putting a hand under his chin. "You're noisy, short, have no composure or tolerance, and there's not really anything you have that would attract any woman."

"(Not to mention you're sweaty all the time)." Asta then felt something land on his head, causing him to look up.

Sitting on his messy hair was a small, avian Pokémon resembling a young owl with a round body and short legs. Its plumage is primarily beige with a white underside and facial disc. The facial disc itself is in the shape of two overlapping circles. It has large black eyes and a stubby beak. The top part of its beak is white, while the lower half is an orange-brown. Its feet have two forward-facing toes and one backward facing toe; they are the same color as the lower half of its beak. Two leaves sprout from its chest, arranged to resemble a bowtie. The owl Pokemon turned his whole head around(much like most owls do) and looked down at Scorbunny, who was still lying on the ground. "(Oh, hey Scorbunny. Is Asta at it again)?"

Hearing his rival speak, the rabbit Pokemon quickly jumped back on his feet, giving the other Pokemon a determined expression. "(Rowlet, let's fight! I wanna settle our score)!" Scorbunny declared, his mood turning 180 degrees. The newly identified Rowlet simply turned his head sideways before answering…

"(No)." Rowlet said simply while flying back to Yuno's shoulder, leaving Scorbunny baffled. Yuno and his partner then walked past a shocked Asta, who shook in anger before speaking up.

"HEY! After fifteen years, that's how you're gonna treat me? Freaking Lady Killer!" Asta shouted in anger.

"(Come back here and settle our score, Rowlet! I'm getting fired up)!" Scorbunny added, hopping in place as small embers emerged under him. Yet both he and his human partner were ignored.

"May I?" Yuno asked Sister Lily politely, much to Asta's anger.

"Don't ignore me, you jerk!" Asta shouted out once again.

"Asta." Yuno turned back to the ash blonde teen, giving a slightly serious expression. "Nuns are women of the cloth, which means they can't marry. Neither can fifteen year old boys."

"(Not to mention I doubt you'd keep her happy, even with Scorbunny)." Rowlet added, though only Asta's Pokemon could understand.

"Think you're so smug…" Asta muttered while looking down a bit. He then glanced at Scorbunny, who nodded with a determined smile. "Then why not prove it with a battle? Scorbunny vs Rowlet, no holds bar!"

"It's a waste of time." Yuno said simply.

"Even with a fire type like Scorbunny, I doubt Asta would be able to win." The young brown haired boy known as Nash said, using his fire magic to boil the water from one of the girl's pans.

"Scorbunny, Double Kick! Let's go!" Asta commanded while extending an arm.

"(You got it)!" Scorbunny got in a runner's position before leaping forward, his right foot extended towards Rowlet.

"Dodge." Yuno calmly ordered as Rowlet flew off his shoulder, dodging Scorbunny's attack. "Leafage."

"(Here we go)!" Rowlet opened his wings before flapping them hard, sending a barrage of glowing leaves down.

"No you don't. Ember!" Asta countered. Scorbunny opened his mouth and unleashed a series of embers, striking Rowlet's Leafage. Despite the type advantage, both sides were even before they disappeared… along with Rowlet! "Say what?!"

"(Behind you)." Rowlet said while suddenly appearing behind Scorbunny, causing him to gasp.

"Peck." Yuno said with a snap of his fingers. Rowlet's beak suddenly began to glow before he began stabbing Scorbunny on his butt, earning a yelp of pain from the fire type. "End it with Gust."

"(Going up)!" Rowlet announced while flapping his wings even faster, creating a large gust of wind that threw Scorbunny all the way to Asta.

"Scorbunny!" Asta shouted before he caught his Pokemon, looking down at him with worry. "You okay?"

"(I'm… fine)." Scorbunny shrugged off while jumping out of Asta's arms, wobbly staring up at Rowlet. "(Let's… keep… going)."

"Asta, he won't be able to fight on." Yuno called out, noticing Scorbunny's weak state. "Call him back." As much as Asta wanted to speak against it, he knew Yuno was right. With a heavy sigh, he walked up to Scorbunny and patted his head.

"That's good enough, pal. Let's rest up." Asta said solemnly, earning a shocked expression from his partner.

"(But… But… I can't keep going)!" Scorbunny tried explaining with a hurt expression before he noticed Asta stand up, giving Yuno a glare.

"If Scorbunny can't finish this, then I will!" Asta declared before he pulled his hand back. "Now, secret magic that's been growing inside me, time to come out!" He then proceeded to thrust his palm forward… only for nothing to come out. "WHAT?!"

"It's pointless to do that. Only people with actual magic can do that." Nash called out with a bored tone.

"Still nothing! Come on!" Asta shouted in frustration before he tried a different pose, yet still nothing. Some of the children laughed in amusement at his attempts while Yuno and Rowlet simply kept staring at him, waiting to see what would happen.

"(Keep trying! I know you can do it)!" Scorbunny cheered, trying hard to motivate his partner.

"Must be crazy to not have magic at his age. It never happens." Nash added blankly, getting Asta's full attention.

"Hey, what's the deal?! I'm older than you, so show a little respect, Nash!" Asta yelled, though the young boy was unaffected.

"Not a chance." Nash answered bluntly, showing Asta his fire magic. "Haven't you learned that magic is everything in this world? Even if you have a Pokemon like Scorbunny, it won't get you very far."

"(Hey, take that back)!" Scorbunny bounced in front of Nash, pointing a paw at him with an angry expression. "(Just cause Asta has no brains or magic doesn't mean he's helpless! Tell him, Asta)!" Scorbunny then turned around… only to see his partner doing crunches at an alarming pace.

"I bet no one else can do as many crunches as I can!" Asta shouted while yelling aggressively, not slowing down at all.

"Hehe, Asta's being funny again!" One of the little girls laughed before she and the others felt a strong wind pass by. They turned around to see Yuno using his wind magic to dry the clothes, with Rowlet using Gust to help out. "Wow, Yuno and Rowlet are amazing!"

"Thank you for the help." Lily said with a grateful tone, though her words literally pierced Asta's heart.

"Come on Scorbunny, let's chop some wood!" Asta said before picking up his Pokemon and running to the front of the church, where several logs were stored. The ash blonde teen grabbed an axe while Scorbunny put one log up for him. "Leave it to us! We got it-"

*WHOOSH*

Before Asta could finish, Yuno used his wind magic to cut the log clean in half. "Are they really the same age? It's kinda hard to tell with how Asta's acting." Nash said with a sigh as the other children laughed.

"(Good cut, Yuno)." Rowlet complimented his human partner, to which he rubbed the grass type on the head. Asta gritted his teeth in anger while Scorbunny gave him a sympathetic expression.

The doors to the church opened, along with a loud declaration. "Yuno is the hope of this church!" The speaker was a middle aged man in his late fifties with short grey hair, olive eyes, a small mustache and beard. He wore a simple priest's outfit… and he was crying. "You waited so long for your Grimoire, and now it's here!" The old man cried while holding Yuno's shoulders. "Don't ever forget where you came from, my boy. And make sure you see the world with your Pokemon."

"Getting into the magic knights isn't a dream for Yuno. With his magic and Rowlet by his side, he'll make it for sure." Nash said, unaware of the hurtful words he was saying. Asta simply huddled against the wall, holding his legs close to his chest with a somber expression.

"(Don't listen to those jerks. I know we'll be magic knights too)." Scorbunny said while rubbing Asta's leg as smoothly as he could. He knew none of them weren't really trying to hurt Asta, but it wouldn't hurt to acknowledge him once in a while.

"Thanks, pal." Asta said with a small smile, scratching the rabbit Pokemon between the ears. He then stood up and looked towards the distance.

Not too far away from the church was a massive skull that had horns and what looked like a third eye socket. On top of it was a statue of a young man, holding one arm out while also holding a grimoire with the other.

The first wizard king, Lumiere Silvamillion.

"A grimoire… I'll have it soon. After all this time." Asta muttered before he clenched his fist. "I'm gonna get the best grimoire out there, join the magic knights and once I made a name for myself and my Pokemon, I'll be the next wizard king, just like you!"

"(Yeah! We can do this)!" Scorbunny cheered on, also feeling fired up. If he could help Asta become the Wizard King, then he'd be able to pay him back for saving his life all those years ago. Lily couldn't help but giggle at Asta and Scorbunny's determination while Nash just rolled his eyes.

"And when we do, we'll come back and fix this crappy church!"

Those words caused the veins on Father Orsi's head to pop out as he sharply turned towards Asta. "Crappy church?! That's taking it too far!" He shouted while pointing a finger at Asta, only to be ignored.

"Right Yuno?" Asta called out to his friend with a big smile. However, Yuno simply looked away, seemingly ignoring Asta. "Come on, remember our promise?" To prove it, Asta raised a fist towards Yuno. For a moment, Yuno looked back at Asta, amber eyes staring at green ones… before he sighed and walked inside the church.

"(HEY)!" Scorbunny called out, shaking in anger. How dare Yuno just walk away when Asta was being nice?! That was plain rude!

As for Asta, his hair shadowed his expression as he lowered his fist. _'Did he seriously just forget about that night? About how we promised each other…' _Not being able to stay, Asta turned his head and leaped over the wooden fence before running towards the skull. "I'll show all of you that I have what it takes, damnit!"

"Asta, wait!" Sister Lily tried calling out, but it was in vain.

"(ASTA)!" Scorbunny quickly jumped over the fence and began hopping after Asta.

"Really? How am I younger than him?" Nash said with a tired sigh. Scorbunny, who happen to hear that from afar, turned back to the young boy with a furious expression before he started to run back to Nash. With a mighty hop, Scorbunny extended a foot forward before kicking Nash on the cheek, causing him and Lily to gasp.

"Scorbunny!" Lily shouted in shock. She had never seen him ever attack one of the children before.

"What's your problem?!" Nash asked in anger, holding his cheek as tears threatened to fall out. Scorbunny growled at him for a moment before running after Asta.

It seems Scorbunny was angrier than anyone thought.

'_A few hours later'_

"994… 995.. 996… 997…" To keep his body in top form, Asta regularly comes to the demon's skull to exercise, whether it'd be through combat or something as simple as a push up. This became a routine for both the magicless teen and his Pokemon.

"(998… 999…)" Both Asta and Scorbunny were currently doing one arm handstands, sweat running down their faces as their bodies ached from the harsh workout. Yet, they would never give up until they reached…

"1000(1000)!" Finally reaching their highest number, Asta and Scorbunny jumped back and landed on their feet, rubbing their sore arms.

"Good, we were able to do a thousand." Asta said to Scorbunny before taking out his canister and drinking what appeared to be a green liquid from it. "And now for some magic enhancing juice! Bottoms up!" Even though the taste wasn't good, Asta still believed it would help him use magic… even though he drank it for years. Once he finished, he then offered it to Scorbunny. "Want some?"

"(No thanks. That stuff smells)." Scorbunny replied while covering his cute little nose. Asta may not be able to smell the horrible stench from that juice, but he sure could.

"I guess that's all for today." Asta said before sitting on the ground, letting his body relax. Scorbunny took the chance to sit next to him, leaning against his body. "They're wrong. Even if I don't have any magic right now, a Grimoire will change all that." He then spoke with a softer tone. "Hey, Scorbunny?"

"(Yeah)?" Scorbunny perked his ears up, looking up at Asta with a curious expression.

"Do you think Yuno really forgot about our promise? He didn't even fist bump me when I asked." Asta said with a sad tone. "Does he even care about our rivalry anymore?" The fire type didn't know how to answer. He didn't know what was going on in Yuno's head, but a small part of hom believed that the same crybaby Yuno was inside that cold exterior.

"(Come on, don't be like that)." Scorbunny said while jumping onto Asta's left shoulder, getting his attention. "(So what if everyone thinks you're nothing because you have no magic? I know that you're a strong person, and that no matter what, you'll be the Wizard King and a Pokemon Master someday! I'll be there with you the whole time, so don't be mopey)!"

Even if Asta couldn't understand what Scorbunny was saying, he could understand enough of it based on the Pokemon's expression, and that caused him to grin. "You're right! This isn't time to give up! We're gonna be the strongest out there!"

"(YEAH)!" Scorbunny cheered as Asta stood up, throwing a fist in the air.

"Let's get back to training!" Asta announced before he and Scorbunny began doing push ups, a fire growing within their souls.

And all anyone could hear of them was their determined scream.

'_Timeskip, March.'_

It was time. Asta and Yuno knew it was.

The sight of the firefly dandelyons flowing through the air was clear enough.

Every year on their exact day, when the children of Clover Kingdom reach the age of fifteen, they gather to the Grimoire Ceremony, an event which allows them to finally receive their Grimoires and set out for the Magic Knights Entrance Exam.

"Woah, check it out Scorbunny! Those shelves are loaded with Grimoire!" Asta said with stars in his eyes as he, his partner and many others gathered inside a large cylinder shaped library. Sure enough, there were dozens of long shelves on the wall, each filled with Grimoire of different magic. "I wonder which one I'll get."

"(There's so many people here)." Scorbunny commented, looking around to see all the newcomers. There were a few he recognized from time to time, but the rest were completely new to him.

"(Everyone else looks nervous. How are you, Yuno)?" Rowlet asked while looking down at Yuno, who stoically looked ahead. The grass/flying type then looked at Asta and Scorbunny before frowning a bit. _'(I wonder if they still hate us for what we did).'_

'_This is it. The day I finally get a Grimoire and surpass everyone.' _Asta thought with clenched fists before he glanced at Yuno. _'And I'll beat you first, Yuno.' _It seemed as though the wind magic user noticed Asta's gaze as he looked at him. However, what surprised Asta was the WAY he was looking at him.

Before, Yuno looked at him as if he was nothing.

But now, there was something in his eyes. Almost like… regret? No, Asta must be seeing things. No way would cool guy Yuno ever look regretful.

"Finally, we're getting our Grimoires. It's about time." A blonde, arrogant male said while flicking his hair. He was escorted by another arrogant brown haired male, along with a Lunatone and Solarock.

"Look what the cat dragged in." The brown haired male said, looking over at Yuno and Asta. "Could they BE any shabbier? They shouldn't give out Grimoires to anyone. Not to mention how weak their Pokemon look."

"Makes me sick to my stomach. You really don't think they'll actually be a part of the Magic Knights Entrance Exam, do you?"

"Not like they have much to show anyways." The two then began to chuckle at the thought of the orphans of the church failing drastically.

"_WELCOME TO GRIMOIRE TOWER, FUTURE MAGIC KNIGHTS." _A bearded old wizard spoke through a glowing stone, which acted as a speaker. _"ON THIS MOMENTOUS DAY, YOU WILL TAKE YOUR FIRST STEP DOWN A NEW PATH." _The old wizard then began to fly down from the ceiling via a magic carpet, landing on the podium. _"FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, I AM THE MASTER OF THIS TOWER. NEVER IN ALL THE TIME I HAVE SERVED THIS TOWER HAS ANYONE DISTINGUISHED HIS OR HERSELF BY BECOMING A MAGIC KNIGHT, MUCH LESS THE WIZARD KING OR EVEN A POKEMON MASTER. I PRAY THAT ONE OF YOU WILL HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME THE STRONGEST MAGE IN THE LAND." _Everyone stared at the old wizard with smiles on their faces, being inspired by his sagely advice. _"AND NOW, TO ACCEPT YOUR GRIMOIRES." _With that, the old wizard raised a hand in the air before snapping his finger.

Almost instantly, Grimoires began floating off the shelves and into the sky, each spinning around, trying to find a proper user. _'Here we go…' _Asta thought while licking his suddenly dry lips, reaching out to grab any Grimoire that deemed him worthy.

One by one, the Grimoire began floating down until their chosen user grabbed them.

"Finally, my very own Grimoire."

"Check out how big mine is!"

"At least mine's thicker, which means it has a bunch of spells."

Each person commented about how amazing it was to be chosen while others openly expressed their joy in leaving Hage for a better life. However, there were some who were a little more than displaced with how small or how empty their Grimoire were.

"Hmmm, look at that. Everyone's so happy. It's almost amusing." The blonde arrogant male said while waving his brown Grimoire without a care in the world. "In just six months, we'll be taking the prestigious Magic Knights Entrance Exam."

"And we'll pass it too with our magic and Pokemon. Just you wait." The brown haired male added with a big smirk. The old wizard simply chuckled at the various reactions everyone was making. Ahhh, to be young again and start a grand adventure. How-

"Ummm, hello?" The old man was brought out of his thoughts by Asta's voice. He, along with everyone else, looked at the magicless teen, who had his arms stuck out, yet he had no Grimoire. After all this time waiting, all the mocking, being pushed down… he STILL wasn't going to get his Grimoire?

"Hehehe…" Someone in the crowd began to laugh a bit, followed by another, then another.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Before long, most of the people within the tower began laughing at Asta and his weak attempt at getting a Grimoire. Some were commenting how they shouldn't have expected anything from him while others told him to go home.

"(HEY! STOP LAUGHING)!" Scorbunny shouted in anger, huffing small embers out of his mouth while glaring at everyone. However, this only served to make them laugh even more.

"Look, he even has his Pokemon defending him!" Someone called out, holding their stomach while laughing to their heart's content.

"Oh, Asta." Lily said as the church group all gave the teen a sympathetic expression. They knew how long he had been waiting for a Grimoire, but it seemed like fate loved a cruel joke.

*Boom* 

However, everyone ceased with their laughter when a bright light suddenly appeared behind Asta and Scorbunny. They slowly turned around… and saw a golden glowing Grmioire hovering in front of Yuno and Rowlet, who also looked momentarily shocked.

"It can't be…" The old wizard said with a shocked tone as he stared at the cover of the Grimoire. "That's… that's a four leaf clover Grimoire!"

Multiple people gasped in genuine shock at this. A four leaf Gimoire meant everlasting good luck to those who wielded it, and it seemed like Yuno was the next user.

"A four leaf… like the legend?" The blonde arrogant male stuttered, with Solarock also shivering surprise. Because of this new revelation, no one noticed a cloaked individual smiling in delight before disappearing in the shadows.

"The same Grimoire that was given to the first Wizard Knight?" Father Orsi said in awe.

"And if the legends are true, then the one who holds it will be given immense power and good luck." Lily said, also in awe. She never thought in a million years Yuno would be given such a rare Grimoire, even with the talent he had.

"It chose him?"

"That poor commoner?"

"There must be a mistake."

Of course, not everyone was thrilled with Yuno receiving such a priceless Grimoire, but he didn't care. It was his and his alone. He opened his left hand, allowing the book to fall onto it before he grabbed hold.

"(Wow, it's your Grimoire, Yuno. Congratulations)!" Rowlet said while flapping his wings in joy. He knew Yuno was special and getting a Grimoire with such power was proof of that. Yuno looked at it for a few moments before turning around and speaking for the first time in a while.

"I will become the Wizard King." Yuno declared with such passion, it caused Asta to fall on his knees in shock, with Scorbunny rubbing his leg in support.

"AMAZING!" Like those who were jealous, the rest of the mages were ecstatic to see such a rare moment occur before them. Who knows? Maybe with this Grimoire, Yuno COULD be the next Wizard King.

Something that left a pit in Asta's stomach. "(Asta)?" Scorbunny asked in concern before the ash blonde male began to walk away, much to his shock. "(Hey, wait for me)!"

Yuno noticed Asta walk away with his Pokemon before closing his eyes and walking back to the church group.

'_Why wasn't he chosen too?'_

Little did Yuno know… his good luck was about to be short lived.

'_Sometime later'_

"I waited so long. You know that?"

"(Yeah, I know)."

"And even after all the time I spent training… I didn't get a Grimoire."

"(Maybe you can wait until next year),"

For the past few hours, Asta was just hanging… no, literally hanging upside down on a tree branch, looking at the distance with a defeated expression. Scorbunny was sitting on a nearby rock, picking at the Oran Berries he had gathered in order to cheer his human partner up. But no matter what the fire type did, Asta still wouldn't budge. It was just so sad, to see someone as hyper as Asta look so defeated. Like a Lillipup being kicked to the curb.

Speaking of Asta, he continued to replay a memory over and over again.

_A cold winter night._

_Yuno being attacked by moving trash._

_Asta rushing in to save him._

_And finally… the two sharing a smile while fist bumping._

'_So, he really did forget about our promise.' _Asta thought before he wildly scratched his head. "Guah, dammit!" He groaned before flipping off the branch, landing on his feet. "No, we won't give up that easily!"

"(Asta)?" Scorbunny asked, a smile spreading to his face as he saw the same fire that always burned within Asta's eyes.

"Just because I didn't get a Grimoire this time doesn't mean I get to give up! HAHAHAHA!" Asta laughed before he raised a fist in the air. "You won't be beating me this time, Fate! Don't ever underestimate me! I don't care if I have to wait another year, or two, or ten or a hundred! One day, I'll get my Grimoire and become the Wizard King! Then, I'll work even harder with Scorbunny and become a Pokemon Master!" Asta looked at the distance once again, more specifically the statue of the First Wizard King. "Even if I'm a poor commoner who was abandoned at birth, I'll show everyone that I have a right to stand next to them!"

"(YEAH! No one will stop us! I'll evolve and become Asta's strongest Pokemon! Then, I'll beat Rowlet and any of Yuno's Pokemon)!" Scorbunny shouted as well, raising a paw up with Asta.

*Growl*

However, their little moment was ruined by the sound of Asta's stomach growling. "Hehehe, I could go for a little food." Asta said sheepishly before Scorbunny climbed on his shoulder, offering him an Oran Berry. "Thanks pal."

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

Just as Asta was about to eat the berry, the sound of frightened screams were heard in the distance, catching their attention. "Woah, what was that?!" Asta shouted in surprise.

"(I think it came from the arch)!" Scorbunny concluded while pointing his paw towards the large stone arch in the middle of town. Asta didn't know why, but he had a feeling something was wrong.

"Looks like we won't be eating berries right now. Come on!" With that, Asta and Scorbunny ran towards the arch.

'_Several moments earlier'_

"Leafage." Yuno commanded as Rowlet launched his signature attack, slamming Solrock and Lunatone as they crashed in front of their partners.

"This isn't over! Get up!" The blonde arrogant man from before shouted at his partner, giving Yuno a hate filled glare.

"Hey, maybe we should stop. It's not like it'll do us any good." His friend said with a slightly concerned tone. Truth be told, he wasn't completely on board with what his friend planned for Yuno, especially after how his Rowlet defeated both their Pokemon without taking damage.

"He humiliated us! We were supposed to be the main stars, yet this common rat was given the four leaf Grimoire?!" The blonde man said before he took out his own Grimoire. "I need to teach him a lesson."

"Wait, we can't-" It was too late as the blonde man began flipping through pages of his Grimoire before finding the best one to deal with Yuno.

"(Oh boy, this is getting a little crazy)." Rowlet said with narrowed eyes. He knew some people were jealous of Yuno, but this was a bit much.

"Rowlet, stay back." Yuno said calmly, getting a nod from his partner as he landed on his shoulder.

"I'll burn that book until it's not but ash! Solrock, use Fire Spin!" The blonde man ordered before he unleashed a wave of fire. The sun-like Pokemon began spinning in place before launching a tornado of fire. Yuno, however, wasn't affected and simply raised his right hand use before he summoned his own tornado, shielding both him and Rowlet from the otherwise deadly attack. Once the flames died out, the two males and their Pokemon gasped as Yuno and his Pokemon were safe, though the area around them was scorched. "H-He dispelled our flames without even using his Grimoire!"

"(See? You can't beat Yuno)." Rowlet taunted while tilting his head sideways.

"Are you done?" Yuno asked with a glare, causing the two to step back a bit. Even their Pokemon flinched at his gaze.

"Don't just stand there. Help me out!" The blonde male demanded from his friend.

"But… but we can't…" The other male looked down in hesitation, his Lunatone giving him a concerned expression. No, this was wrong. They had to stop before someone saw them or worse, before Yuno reported them to the old wizard. However, before he could say anything…

*BOOM*

Several chances shot out of the walls, flying straight towards them. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" They could only scream as the chains struck their bodies, piercing their skin and tearing their clothes. Their Pokemon and even Yuno and Rowlet looked on in shock at what was happening.

"Shadow Claw."

*Slash*

Both Solrock and Lunatone gasped in pain as a shadowy figure appearing before them, slashing their backs and knocking them out instantly.

"Solrock/Lunatone!" Both males could only call out their partners' names before they were pulled against the wall, wrapped tightly with several more chains.

"As much as I love a good revenge story, I'm afraid I can't let you burn something so precious to nothing, now can I? Struggle all you want, but my chain magic is so strong, that not even a captain would escape it, not that you're even close to their level." Yuno and Rowlet looked ahead with glares on their faces as the same strange man from before walked towards them. Thanks to the evening light, there were able to see his long dark hair, pale skin and crazed look on his face.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Yuno practically demanded, hiding his Grimoire behind his back. The man simply chuckled, his chains slithering around him like a snake as he held a light blue Grimoire.

"Of course a village boy wouldn't understand, but not too long ago, I was relatively known among the Magic Knights as Chain Magic Revchi." The man known as Revchi said with a creepy smile. "But then they decided to expel me from their ranks, and now I'm nothing more than a thief trying to survive."

"(No way are we gonna believe you)!" Rowlet said while pointing a wing towards Revchi.

"Oh, such spirit in such a small package. Perhaps I can sell you for a little bonus." Revchi said darkly before he snapped his fingers. Almost immediately, chains shot out of the ground and wrapped around Yuno's body, catching him an Rowlet off guard. "I'll be taking that Grimoire of yours."

"(No you don't)!" Flying in the air, the grass/flying type quickly snached Yuno's Grimoire away, flying high enough from the chains.

"Rowlet, go! I'll be fine!" Yuno ordered.

"I'm afraid that won't work." Revchi said while twisting a bang before saying one word. "Cofagrigus?"

"(I hear you loud and clear)." Rowlet suddenly shivered as a large shadow before forming behind him.

"Rowlet, behind you!" Yuno tried warning.

"Now… Dark Pulse."

Rowlet only had time to turn his head before he was shot with a series of dark rings, causing him to scream in pain and crash to the ground.

"NO!" Yuno tried breaking himself free, but the chains were restricting both his movement and magic.

"How rude of me. I didn't even introduce my partner. Say hello to Cofagrigus." Revchi said before the shadow took the form of what looked like a possessed egyptian coffin, who grinned evilly while handing his human the Grimoire. "Thank you. Now, please hold that little owl for me.

"(Yes, master)." Cofagrigus said before wrapping his shadowy tendrils around Rowlet, keeping him pinned on the ground.

"(Yuno… I'm sorry)." Rowlet apologized, looking at his partner with a sad expression. He should've seen that attack coming from a mile away. Some Pokemon he was.

"Revchi, right? What's the point in stealing?" Yuno questioned. "Only those-"

"Who are chosen by the Grimoire are allowed to use them. I'm aware of that little rule, but that doesn't mean I can't sell this little book to a few black market collectors I know." Revchi said while waving Yuno's Grimoire. "They would pay a small fortune to have something so rare, and if I add your Rowlet, I could have even more money. Even if it chose you, you still don't know how to fully use this Grimoire, so it might as well be trash to you." He then sighed before noticing the pendent around Yuno's neck. "Hmmm, I bet I could get even more money if I add that pendent. You wouldn't mind, wou-"

"Ember!" Revchi's eyes widened as he heard a familiar voice from above. He looked up to see two figures leap over him, one human and the other a bipedal rabbit. Speaking of the rabbit, it opened its mouth before unleashing a barrage of embers down.

"Shadow Ball!" Cofagrigus aimed his other hand up before launching a ball of dark energy, clashing with the Ember attack before they exploded.

*Thud*

Both Asta and Scorbunny landed on the pathway, their legs buckled from the jump.

However… Asta then began to shiver while holding his legs. "Owww, okay. That actually hurt." Asta admitted before falling on his back.

"(This is why you leave the jumping to me. You would have broken your legs)." Scorbunny said while facepalming a bit. As much as he loved his friend… he was still an idiot. Asta then jumped back on his feet.

"Okay, what the hell is going on here?! Who screamed?!" Asta demanded before he pointed at the blonde male from before. "Huh?"

"(Umm, Asta? I think that's who you should be pointing at)." Scorbunny suggested before pushing Asta's legs enough to point him towards Revchi.

"Hey creep, what's your deal?!" Asta shouted before he gasped at what he saw in the former magic knight's hand. "That's Yuno's Grimoire!"

"(Hey, he's got Rowlet too)!" Scorbunny shouted while looking at his rival, who was pinned down by Cofagrigus.

"You bastard, what are you doing?!" Asta shouted with anger in his voice. However, Revchi simply smirked at him.

"Why, look. It's the sad boy who never got his Grimoire and his little rabbit." Revchi taunted with a hand under his chin.

"So you've heard of me, huh?" Asta said while lowering his hand. "Yeah, I'm the sad kid who got left out." He then clenched his fist and spoke up. "But I know a Grimoire is supposed to go to its real master, so give it and Rowlet back to Yuno!"

"Hehehehehe…" Rather than comply, Revchi began to laugh at Asta's idiotic words, along with Cofagrigus. "My, how sheltered you must be if that's what you think I should do. Oh well, I suppose I could educate you two a little." With that, he opened his Grimoire, flipping through the pages.

"Asta, Scorbunny, run!" Yuno shouted. If he and Rowlet couldn't defeat this guy, then what chance do their rivals have? A small portal appeared next to Revchi, followed by several chains, all pointed towards Asta and Scorbunny.

"Scorbunny… focus on helping Rowlet." Asta whispered low enough for Scorbunny to hear. The fire type glanced at his human partner before nodding. Both of them got in running positions before Revchi launched his chains, signalling their attack. "Let's go!"

"(RIGHT)!" Scorbunny shouted before he and Asta split up, running towards their respective enemies.

"Cofagrigus, I trust you can deal with that pest?' Revchi questioned as Asta dodged several of his chains, prompting him to send out more.

"(Of course)." Cofagrigus said with a dark chuckle before he launched several Shadow Balls at Scorbunny, who barely dodged them.

"(Ember)!" Scorbunny launched more embers from his mouth, only for Cofagrigus to dodge like it was nothing.

"I got you, now!" Asta declared before he jumped past Revchi and his chains. He then turned his heel and threw a punch.

"(Double Kick)!" Scorbunny leaped in the air before bringing his foot down towards the Coffin Pokemon.

However, both Revchi and Cofagrigus smirked in delight.

Just as Asta's fist was about to reach Revchi… several chains wrapped around his arm and body, stopping him in his tracks. "What?!"

"(HEYA)!" Scorbunny's foot collided with Cofagrigus' body… only for him to phase through completely. "(Say what)?!"

"It seems your Pokemon doesn't even know what type advantage is." Revchi taunted Asta. "A fighting type move like that does nothing to a ghost Pokemon like Cofagrigus, and you can't even get past my chains." He then gave a wicked smile as he flipped through one page of his Grimoire. "Now you're finished!" Asta looked up and saw several chains dancing above him before they flew down and pierced his body multiple times. "Dance of the Pitless Viper!"

"GUAH!" Asta coughed out blood before two more chains slammed into him, sending him crashing to the wall. _'That's one… serious… attack…'_

"(ASTA)!" Scorbunny shouted, taking his eyes off his opponent for a moment, which turned out to be a bad move.

"(Behind you)!" Cofagrigus shouted before slashing Scorbunny with Shadow Claw, earning a cry of pain from the rabbit Pokemon. He then grabbed the fire type by the ears and slammed him against the wall.

"NO(NO)!" Yuno and Rowlet both shouted at the same time, their concern for their rivals growing even more.

'_Even after I trained my body with Scorbunny… I still couldn't land a hit on this guy.' _Asta thought while looking down without any emotion. _'So this is the kind of power a Magic Knight has. And I thought I could be the strongest out there.' _He didn't even react as Revchi slammed his foot on Asta's shoulder.

"You see now, boy? Nothing you or your Pokemon can do will ever harm me. Thanks for playing, though!" Revchi shouted with a laugh.

"We… can still… fight…" Asta muttered. "I will… be… the Wizard King…"

"Wizard King, Pokemon Master. It doesn't matter. You know why?" Revchi asked rhetorically with a crazy expression. "Because you are nothing but dirt! These chains can help me sense the magic of anyone and I don't sense ANYTHING from you! Even your Pokemon has a better chance at being a Magic Knight than you ever will!" Revchi laughed even laugher, snapping his head up to the sky. "To be born without magic in a world where magic is everything? You are a rare specimen, though I doubt anyone would find any value in you! You should just stay there and die, because that would do everyone a favor!"

'_Maybe… maybe he's right.' _Asta thought sadly as he began to close his eyes. _'No magic, no Grimoire, how can I be the Wizard King? I can't even battle with Scorbunny without holding him back.' _He then began to remember everything that happened today: going to Grimoire Tower, hearing that speech, seeing everyone else get their Grimoire… and witnessing Yuno get the four leaf clover. _'Yuno's so great, the four leaf clover chose him. He could use his wind magic like nothing, and his bond with Rowlet is better than mine. No matter how hard I try, there's just some things that aren't possible, especially for a magicless kid…' _Asta finally closed his eyes before saying one last sentence. _'Sorry for being a disappointment… Scorbunny…'_

'_...'_

'_...'_

"_DON'T DIE!"_

Asta suddenly let out a quiet gasp, opening his eyes a bit. Funny, he could have sworn he heard someone calling out to him.

"_DON'T GIVE UP ON ME, ASTA!"_

There it was again. And the strange part was that he didn't know who was speaking, yet for some reason… It felt familiar.

Raising his head, Asta looked at Revchi, then Yuno, then Rowlet before finally reaching his partner, his friend… his Pokemon.

"_You never once gave up, even when everyone puts you down. That's why I admire you, Asta. And that's why… YOU CAN'T GIVE UP NOW!" _

'_Scorbunny's… talking?' _Asta thought with a gasp. He was looking at his partner, and he was surprised to see a cool blue aura surrounding the fire type, who was looking back at Asta with one eye open. _'What's going on?'_

"HEY!" Yuno suddenly shouted, catching Asta and Revchi's attention. "Who are you calling dirt?" The wind magic user gave Revchi a glare before turning to Asta. "Asta, it's true that you aren't going to be the Wizard King, not ever."

"Oh, it seems even your friend sees you as nothing." Revchi said to Asta with a grin.

"(I suppose I should end this runt's life)." Cofagrigas said while looking at Scorbunny.

"(Don't… call him… a runt)!" Both the ghost Pokemon and Scorbunny looked down to see Rowlet raising his head, giving the former a glare.

"You're wrong about Asta, Revchi." Yuno continued. "He's not a loser."

"(Scorbunny is not weak)." Rowlet added. Both Asta and Scorbunny listened to their friends before hearing something that neither expected.

"HE'S MY RIVAL/(HE'S MY RIVAL!)"

'_What/(What)?' _Asta and Scorbunny raised their heads, widening their eyes in pure shock. They actually said it. Yuno and Rowlet actually called them rivals. It was… so surprising.

"Really? You would really consider this trash as your rival?" Revchi asked with a slightly surprised tone. "A magicless idiot and his pet rabbit?"

"(These two are nothing. So why call them your rival)?" Cofagrigus asked Rowlet.

Revchi then felt a hand grab onto his leg, squeeze it hard.

"You…" Asta began, glaring deeply at Revchi with enough hate to actually surprise him. "Get off me." With another squeeze, Asta was able to force the chain magic user away. "Sorry you had to see me like this Yuno, Rowlet, Scorbunny." He let out a breath, trying to compose himself. "Give me a second. Just one is all I'll need…" Asta raised his head, a determined look on his face. "TO BEAT THIS GUY!"

"(Yeah…)" Scorbunny muttered with a smile, clenching his paw. No way was he going to let Asta handle Revchi and Cofagrigus by himself. Suddenly, the Rabbit Pokemon felt a fire burning inside him, his body beginning to glow red.

*BOOM*

Time seemed to stop as a loud boom erupted in the air, with the area being covered with a dark aura. Asta widened his eyes as he saw something float down in front of him. _'Wait… what is that?' _

In front of Asta… was a Grimoire.

Unlike the ones he had seen, this one looked dirty and worn out, like it had been around for centuries and it was covered in a red and black aura. But the strangest part was that instead of a three or even a four leaf clover on it… it had a five leaf one. "Is that… a Grimoire?"

"I knew it." Yuno said with a smile on his face. "I knew you would get one someday, Asta. You deserve one more than anyone else."

"(This is amazing. He doesn't even have magic, but he still got a Grimoire)." Rowlet commented, also smiling in response.

The Grimoire began to open before reaching a certain page.

Once it did… something began to emerge from it.

"What in the name of Arceus?" Revchi whispered, fearing crawling into his chest. Emerging from Asta's Grimoire was a large black and dirty broadsword, with a cross-shaped handle. "Is that your magic?!" Once the sword completely formed, it impaled the ground in front of Asta. "How is this possible?! My chains told me you had no magic at all! HOW COULD YOU EVEN EARN A GRIMOIRE?!"

"_The leaves of a clover are said to each contain one thing. In the first three, dwell integrity, hope and love. The fourth leaf is given over to good luck. And in the fifth…"_

Asta stood up, grabbing the handle of the sword before raising his head, frightening Revchi and Cofagrigus.

Behind the magicless teen… was the shadow of a monster.

"_Lives the devil."_

"W-W-W-W-What… H-H-How… WHAT ARE YOU?!" Revchi shouted in pure horror, dropping Yuno's Grimoire while stepping back. He may not have any magic, but Revchi still felt the need to get away from him.

"(What kind of partner have you chosen)?!" Cofagrigus yelled at Scorbunny, only to feel a burning sensation on his hand. "(What the-?)"

"(Let… US…)" Scorbunny's body continued to heat up, steam pouring out of his body and Cofagrigus' hand. He opened his eyes and gave the ghost Pokemon a heated glare. "(GO)!" Suddenly, Scorbunny's whole body erupted in flames, much to everyone's surprise.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?! COFAGRIGUS, KILL IT!" Revchi shouted desperately. But the heat from Scorbunny's fire was enough to force his Pokemon to release him. With a mighty scream, Scorbunny bounced off the wall and crashed right into Cofagrigus, causing him to gasp in pain and release Rowlet. "COFAGRIGUS!" The Rabbit Pokemon landed on his feet, glaring at his opponent while his body turned red for a moment.

'_I know that move.' _Yuno thought before turning to Asta. "Asta! Scorbunny just used Flame Charge! It increases his speed every time he uses it!"

"Really?" Asta said before a smile crept on his face as he extended his left arm. "In that case, use Flame Charge again!"

"(Roger)!" Enveloping his body in fire once again, Scorbunny began to rush towards Cofagrigus. Seeing this, the ghost Pokemon fired multiple Shadow Balls, only for Scorbunny to dodge them at blinding speed.

"ENOUGH!" Revchi shouted before he launched several chains at Scorbunny, only for him to maneuver past them.

'_(He trained with Asta so long, that he's able to move even faster with Flame Charge. Just what I expect from a rival).' _Rowlet thought with a smile. Scorbunny leaped before tackling Revchi in the stomach, causing him to gag in pain. He wasn't done yet as he then jumped up and headbutted Revchi's jaw. Once in the air, Scorbunny flew down and smashed into Cofagrigus yet again.

"YOU LITTLE PEST!" Revchi screamed to the top of his lungs before unleashing dozens of chains towards Scorbunny, who landed in front of Asta.

*Slash*

The surprises didn't stop there as Asta lifted the sword rather easily and slashed the chains, causing them to disappear. "You took my magic… AND MADE IT YOUR POWER?!"

Asta said nothing as he clenched his arms and legs, getting ready to strike. Seeing this, Scorbunny grinned before hoping out of the way.

And then… Asta moved, creating a small sonic boom behind him. All Revchi and Cofagrigus saw was a small blur before Asta appeared in front of them. "Even without traditional magic power…" Asta started, pulling his sword back. "I WILL BE THE WIZARD KING!" With that, he brought his sword down, causing both thieves to scream in pure terror. "MY MAGIC… IS NEVER GIVING UP!"

*BOOM*

The moment Asta's sword clashed on Revchi's stomach… It was game over. With a mighty scream, Asta launched both of them like a rocket, sending them crashing into the wall and making the area shake a bit from the sheer force of it. Once the dust cleared, Revchi and his Pokemon could be seen leaning against the wall, covered in bruises. Cofagrigus' coffin had multiple cracks and Revchi seemed to be bleeding from the head. "Since I don't have magic, I thought I should train my body. Guess it was able to pay off in the end." Asta said while panting before turning to Scorbunny with a smile. "And you learned a new move. Good job, buddy."

"(Yeah, I guess we both won)." Scorbunny said while looking down and shivering, much to Asta's confusion. Before he could say anything, the fire type leaped towards him, prompting the magicless teen to catch him as his Pokemon hugged his chest. "(I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU! YOU COULD HAVE DIED AND I WOULD'VE BEEN LEFT ALONE! DON'T EVER DO SOMETHING SO STUPID AGAIN)!"

Even though Asta couldn't necessarily understand Scorbunny, he got a vague idea of why he was upset and it made him smile. "Guess I had you worried there, huh?" Asta asked rhetorically before he hugged the Rabbit Pokemon softly. "I'm sorry, pal. Sometimes, I act without thinking. I promise, no more dying." Scorbunny smiled at this, hugging Asta even tighter.

"Hey." But their moment was cut short as they turned back to Yuno and Rowlet, who were giving them warm smiles.

"Did you see how awesome we were?" Asta boasted while holding Scorbunny with one hand and showing Yuno his Grimoire with the other. "Scorbunny learned a new move and I was able to finally get my Grimoire! It's a little beat up, but I'll treasure it for the rest of my life!"

"(Now we're one step closer to becoming the best of the best)." Scorbunny added with a confident grin. However, Yuno walked past them with Rowlet, much to their confusion.

"You saved us. I guess we're in your debt." Yuno spoke up, making Asta and Scorbunny widen their eyes in surprise as they turned towards him. Looking at the demon's skull from a distance, Yuno looked back at Asta with the same regretful look on his face. "I'm… sorry for the way I ignored you before. You saved me once before and now you saved me again. That's not fair to you."

"(Yuno may act cold, but he still cares about Asta like a brother. The same goes for me)." Rowlet said to Scorbunny. "(We're rivals and we're brothers, Scorbunny. But that doesn't mean I'll lose to you)."

"(Rowlet… I feel the same way)." Scorbunny confessed with a happy smile. He was glad that Rowlet saw him as an equal.

"Ehhh, forget about it, jerk." Asta said while walking up and playfully punching Yuno's arm with a grin. "Still, would've been nice to have you say that every now and then."

"Maybe." Yuno said before a thought occurred. "By the way, I still remember."

"Oh?" Asta asked with a knowing grin.

"Our promise." Yuno said as he, Asta and their Pokemon looked at the demon skull. "Because of you, I have hope. Even if we're poor commoners, we can still make something out of ourselves."

"To make Sister Lily and everyone else happy." Asta added.

"(To be friends with all kinds of Pokemon)." Scorbunny said nostalgically.

"(To learn what it means to be a Pokemon Master)." Rowlet added. The four looked at each other with big smiles before fist bumping(or in Scorbunny and Rowlet's case, paw and wing bumping).

"We'll fight to see who becomes the Wizard King(We'll fight to see who can help them become the Wizard King)!" They all declared at the same time as the firefly dandelyons glowed around them.

*ROAR*

Asta, Yuno and their Pokemon all jumped a bit when they heard a strange cry in the air. Turning their heads, they began looking for whatever caused that noise, yet there wasn't a human or Pokemon nearby. Just as Asta was about to ask what it was… he looked up in the air and gasped. "Yuno…"

"What is it?" Yuno asked, only to get no reply. He and their Pokemon followed when Asta's eyes were focused on and gasped as well.

Flying above them was an avian Pokemon resembling a phoenix and a peacock. Its feathers are predominantly gold and red, with yellow tail-feathers, a white underside, and green feathers at the tip of its wings. It has a green stripe on its neck, a yellow beak, black rings around its red eyes, and a feathered, yellow crest on its head. Its wings are prismatic, causing it to trail a rainbow behind it. It has darkly colored feet and legs with four toes and long talons.

The creature let out another cry as it flapped its wings, allowing glimmering lights to fall like rain, making the sky look majestic. Asta and Yuno couldn't even form words to describe the Pokemon. They simply watched it fly away from them and they could have sworn it looked back.

"Holy… wow. Just… wow." Asta couldn't even form any proper words to describe the creature. It was just that amazing. "Do you know what that was?"

"No. I've never seen a Pokemon like that in the books before." Yuno confessed, still amazed with how beautiful that Pokemon was. He then began to chuckle a bit, catching Asta's attention.

"What?" Asta asked.

"You always say how you weren't going to let fate bring you down, right?" Yuno asked, glancing at Asta with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "This could be fate's way of telling us to keep our dream alive." Asta took a minute to register his rival's words before grinning.

"Yeah, you might be right." Asta admitted before he looked at his partner. "So what do you say? Ready to train for the Magic Knights Exam?"

"(Oh yeah)!" Scorbunny cheered while yelling as loud as Asta would.

This turned out to be an amazing day after all.

**So… how was that? Good? Bad? Complete garbage?**

**I know, this is just what happens in episode one, yada, yada, yada. But, I am adding new elements like the Pokemon rivalry and such, so you can't fault me for that. Still, while the story will be familiar, I will do my best to add original chapters dedicated to character growth and potential catching.**

**Before you say it, I WILL explain how Pokeballs work in this world, as well as whether or not there will even be a Pokedex(which would feel off in this world.) If you have an idea, please let me know.**

**Can any of you guess the Pokemon Asta and Yuno saw? I had to add it in this story since I felt like it could be fate's way of encouraging the two. Plus… we will see a bunch of Legendary Pokemon in this story.**

**If you guys have an idea for which Pokemon Asta, Yuno and everyone else should have, let me know through the reviews or by messaging me. And please be respectful with one another. **

**Follow, Fav, Review and PM for anything.**

**Next time: Quest to the Exam!**


	2. Chapter 2: Quest to the exam!

**What is happening, everyone from quarantine?! Th3 rd dragneel, returning with the second chapter of Pokemon: Clover(so glad I changed the first title, cause that one was so bland). I hope all of you are trying to entertain yourselves while we have to stay home and not try to go insane like I am. But, if you are reading this, I'm glad my suffering is entertaining(kidding, obviously). The reception to this story was surprising. I mean who would have thought to make a Black Clover/Pokemon crossover? But still, I have a lot of plans to change things in canon so it won't feel copy and pasted, trust me.**

**But anywho, onto the reviews!**

**JCarrasco: Thanks and I hope you like what this story has to offer.**

**Kenrio: It's understandable, but I have a lot of original content for this story that will be added later on. And that bit with Ho-Oh has a lot of foreshadowing that will be explored as the story goes on.**

**The man who inherited madness: Wait, I don't know what you-AAAAAHHHHHH*gets hit with Winged Dragon of Ra.* Hope you get that reference.***

**ShadowFlameDragon03: Oh my man, there's a LOT more shit that will happen in this story, so I hope you like it.**

**DARKPHANTOM13: They'll have a lot of diversity in regards to their Pokemon, same with all the other characters. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.**

**Shadowwolf1997: I hope it was, good sir. Things will get even better as it goes on.**

**kungfubrawler77: That would be a good Pokemon for Yuno, though I do have someone in mind for Abra.**

**Kamen Rider W: Oh, the whole Pokeball thing will be explained in this chapter, don't you worry about it, pal.**

**GirlFish: So many questions, and they will be answered as the story goes on.**

**The Lazy Dragon: Hey, sometimes you gotta experiment with certain series to have a unique story and trust me, I plan on adding a lot more for this story. We'll see a lot more of Ho-Oh… and its role in this world.**

**TheFreezerStreets: Maybe.**

**MaMcMu: I say give Black Clover a chance. It's better than what people say, though some animation could have been better. I like Fire Pledge too, though given how the Scorbunny line doesn't have the best special attack stats, it might not be used that much.**

**Justin: Bro, you're actually on the right track in terms of how the Dex in this story will work.**

**To recap: In the village of Hage, a magicless boy named Asta and his silent rival Yuno, along with their Pokemon friends Scorbunny and Rowlet, wait to receive their Grimoire in order to qualify for the Magic Knights Entrance exam. As luck would have it, Yuno was given the four leaf Grimoire while Asta was given nothing. However, later that day, a former magic knight attempts to steal Yuno's Grimoire and Rowlet, only for Asta and Scorbunny to intervene. Just as the former knight was about to kill Asta, a strange five leaf clover Grimoire appeared with an anti magic sword and with the help of Scorbunny's new move Flame Charge, they were able to claim victory. The four then declared themselves true rivals, ready to make their dream of becoming the Wizard King and Pokemon Master come true.**

**How did things change since that fateful day? Let's find out...**

'_Demon's Skull, several months later'_

"Flame Charge, again!"

"(HYAH)!"

Inside the middle of the Demon Skull, Asta was seen standing in place, shirtless and wielding his new anti magic sword. He raised the sword defensively just as Scorbunny slammed into it via Flame Charge. With a battle cry, Asta pushed Scorbunny back, causing the fire type to land on his feet while wiping his face. The two continued to glare at one another before smiling. "I think that's all for today, pal."

"(Good, because I don't wanna keep smashing into that thing)." Scorbunny said in relief before he fell flat on his butt. The two have been training all day until evening for the past six months and to say they got ripped would be an understatement. The whole area was covered in gashes and burn marks from their rigorous training.

"Now it's time for some magic enhancing Moguro juice!" Asta shouted before he took out his canister and began chugging down the contents… only to taste a single drop. "Huh?" Curious, he began shaking it down, yet nothing came out. "Hey, where's the juice?"

"(I don't know)." Scorbunny said innocently, pushing dirt on top of a certain wet spot on the ground. He loved Asta to death, but him getting bad breath because of that stuff was something he did not want to face again.

"Oh well." Asta said with a sigh before he turned around, only to see an anti magic bird look at him with a blank expression. "Hey, birdie. You drink my magic enhancing juice?" The bird, in response, simply flew away, much to their confusion. "Guess not." With a shrug, Asta sat down near the base of a tree, with Scorbunny snuggling next to him as he took out his Grimoire. "I still can't believe I have a Grimoire, even if it's hard to read."

"(You deserve it after everything)." Scorbunny said with a smile as he reached out and touched the Grimoire.

"Still, after what that wizard told us. I can't believe we actually saw it." Asta said in a soft tone as he looked up, recalling what had happened that day.

'_Flashback, six months ago'_

"_Check it out! I finally got a Grimoire too!" Asta said eagerly as he should the Grimoire Tower Wizard his new Grimoire, with a smirking Yuno and shocked father Orsi and sister Lily. "So, can I enter the Magic Knights Exam too?!"_

"_Oh, a Grimoire, you say?" The wizard asked curious as he reached out and grabbed Asta's Grimoire, studying it closely. "Hmmmm…"_

"_Where did it come from? Surely, we would have seen it come to Asta during the ceremony. So why come now?" Sister Lily asked in a confused tone._

"_(Who cares? Now Asta and I can move on to be Magic Knights)!" Scorbunny said while hopping up and down in joy._

"_(That doesn't mean you'll beat us)." Rowlet said confidently from Yuno's shoulder._

'_Strange. I don't remember seeing this Grimoire with the others. And the fact it has five leaves makes it even more unique.' The wizard thought with a critical eye before he handed Asta his Grimoire back. "Well, with this new development, how can I say no?" Asta and scorbunny smiled in joy before father Orsi spoke up._

"_I understand Yuno, but don't you think it's too soon for Asta? I mean he just got this Grimoire." Father Orsi spoke up, much to Asta and Yuno's surprise._

"_I think that's exactly why he should be allowed." The wizard said, surprising the father, as well as the others. He opened one eye and gave Orsi a serious, yet soft look. "Don't you see the determination in his eyes? Even if I told him not to, he would still try and participate in the exams."_

"_I wouldn't do that!" Asta yelled defensively, getting skeptical looks from everyone, making him shrink a bit. "Okay… maybe not THAT bad."_

"_Besides, two participants decided to dropout for some reason, so it's only right that Asta take their place." The wizard added while putting his hands together. "I understand how you feel, but even you cannot stop him from following his dream. Am I right?" Father Orsi bit his lower lip in thought as Asta looked at him with hopeful eyes. The kind of eyes that would make even the toughest of guys soften up. He was just worried that Asta wouldn't be able to make it, not because he wanted Asta to fail. Truth be told: he would miss the loud brat. Yuno, he could understand. But losing both the sons he raised for fifteen years? It was almost too much for the old priest._

"_Father" Sister Lily spoke up, getting his attention. "I know you care about Asta and wouldn't want to see him go too-"_

"_Hold on! T-That's not it!" Father Orsi turned away to hide his embarrassed blush. "It's just that Asta's gonna fail anyways, so why should he take it in the first place?"_

"_Hey!" Asta said while giving a big pout, followed by Scorbunny. _

"_Plus there's the children that would miss him, and all the work we need for the harvest." Father Prsi continued to make excuses, getting Yuno and Rowlet to sweatdrop._

"_(Wow, he is not hiding his feelings at all)." Rowlet commented while tilting his head sideways._

"_But still, even if we're going to miss him and Yuno, we should still let them go." Sister Lily finished with a warm smile. "It's the only way they'll be able to grow up."_

"_AHHHH, SISTER LILY! YOU'RE SO KIND!" Asta exclaimed with tears in his eyes before he lunged towards her. "PLEASE MARRY-"_

_*SLAP*SLAP*SLAP*_

_And just like that, Alomomola appeared and viciously slapped Asta, sending him crashing to the ground. "(How many times do we have to tell you that she is not interested)?!" Alomomola questioned with a tick mark before Lily returned her into the ball._

"_Well… that was interesting." The wizard said with a hearty laugh before he stood up and walked up to his window, looking at the evening sun begin to set. "If that's all-"_

"_Actually, there's something else we need to ask." Yuno spoke up for the first time in this meeting, much to everyone's curiosity. _

"_Oh? And what might that be?" The wizard asked while turning towards the four leaf Grimoire holder._

"_Before the Magic Knights came to arrest that thief, me and Asta saw something." Yuno explained._

"_It was a sign of our rivalry." Asta added confidently, only to get hushed by Father Orsi._

"_It was some kind of creature, maybe a Pokemon." Yuno began describing while putting a hand under his chin. "Its wings were shining like a rainbow, and it had this golden aura around it. Not to mention it flew over us and had-"_

"_Wait." The wizard paused Yuno, his eyes slowly widening. "D-Did you say its wings were glowing like a rainbow?" Yuno nodded in response before the wizard began opening his desk, looking for something._

"_Grand wizard? Is something wrong?" Father Orsi asked in concern, a bit taken back by the wizard's strange behavior. After a few minutes of searching, he pulled out a large black and rather faded book, putting it on the desk before opening it. He skimmed through page after page until he found what he was looking for._

"_Tell me boys… was this what you saw?" The wizard asked before he turned the back towards them, causing Asta and Yuno to lean in. But once they looked at the page, their eyes widened in recognition._

_On a large white page was a rather odd drawing of the creature they saw earlier, with a few details changed here and there._

"_Yeah! That's it!" Asta said in a giggty tone._

"_(So, what is it)?" Scorbunny asked in confusion. Both Father Orsi and Sister Lily peeked over the boys' shoulders, only to gasp in shock._

"_N-No… is that…" Father Orsi stuttered, unable to speak properly. Yuno looked back and saw their expressions before he looked back at the page, noticing some writing on top._

_Ho-Oh, the bird of rebirth_

"_Boys…" The wizard said while sitting on his chair. "What you saw… was the legendary Pokemon, Ho-Oh."_

"_WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT/(EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH)?!" Asta, Scorbunny and even Rowlet exclaimed with eyes the size of dinner plates. Yuno too was shocked, though all he did was gasp lightly._

"_A-Are you sure you two saw H-Ho-Oh?" Father Orsi asked, though even he didn't believe his own words._

"_They were able to describe it so well… there's no doubt." Sister Lily said, her legs a bit weak from the revolution._

"_WAIT A MINUTE!" Asta shouted while holding up a finger. "You're saying that when me, Scorbunny, Yuno and Rowlet saw today was a LEGENDARY POKEMON?!"_

"_(This is too much for me)." Scorbunny whined while rubbing his head. It felt like he was gonna blow up from all the news he and the others were getting._

"_It seems that way." The old wizard said while taking out a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on his forehead. "Yes, it appears that you two and your Pokemon were blessed by Ho-Oh's grace."_

"_Ho-Oh's grace?" Yuno asked, recovering from his shock._

"_You see, Ho-Oh is an extremely rare Pokemon, much rarer than many of the creatures that inhabit our world." The old wizard started while gesturing towards the book. "This book was made by the first Wizard King himself, and it describes how he met and befriended Ho-Oh. In his notes, he says that Ho-Oh is capable of bringing those back to life with a single feather. He also states that those who bear witness to Ho-Oh are given luck for eternity."_

"_Luck… for eternity…" Both Asta and Yuno took in the old wizard's words, feeling a sense of pride overfill them. A legendary Pokemon like Ho-Oh giving them, a bunch of poor commoners, its blessings? A smile began to form on their faces, along with the faces of their Pokemon._

'_I'll do my best. For everyone… and for Ho-Oh!' Both boys thought with determination._

'_Flashback end'_

"Yeah, seeing Ho-Oh was just so awesome." Asta commented as he let his sword get absorbed into his Grimoire, standing up with Scorbunny on his shoulder. A thought occurred that made him grin in joy. "I know! When we see Ho-Oh again, we'll fight it! What do you say, little buddy?"

"(Ummmm… yeah, no)." Scorbunny declined while shaking his head. He would help Asta whenever he needed it, but fighting a legendary Pokemon who lived as long as the first Wizard King? Yeah, he'd like to pass big time.

"That's fine. Because when we become Magic Knights, we'll catch a lot of Pokemon and make tons of friends." Asta said before throwing a fist in the air with a proud smile. "Just you wait, Ho-Oh! I'll make sure your blessing won't go to waste!"

But little did Asta or Scorbunny know… Nash was listening in on them with a frown.

'_The next day'_

"Oh, we're going to miss you, Scorbunny!"

"You too, Rowlet!"

Both Pokemon tried their best not to escape the death grips of the youngest of the orphanege's children as they hugged them. It was early in the morning in Hage and Asta and Yuno, along with their Pokemon, were all prepared to leave the church in order to participate in the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. Of course, being the supportive people they were, Father Orsi and Sister Lily, as well as the other children, were bidding the two a proper farewell after last night's dinner.

"(I love these kids to death, but)..." Rowlet started as he and Scorbunny looked at each other with blank expressions.

"(Yeah)..." Scorbunny commented as well, feeling his bones beginning to crack. How these kids were strong, he would never know.

"Alright kids, I think that's enough." Sister Lily said with a light giggle, getting the kids to pout before they released the Pokemon, who gave the sister a grateful look.

"Take care, you four. The road ahead won't be an easy one." Father Orsi said in a fatherly tone.

"Yuno, you promise you'll write to us, won't you?" One of the kids asked him hopefully.

"Of course." Yuno replied with a soft smile.

"I hope you guys have fun." The youngest girl said with a smile.

"But don't forget to come back." The youngest boy asked with a frown.

"Don't worry about Asta. He'll be back soon enough." Nash said while putting his hands behind his head.

"Come on, Nash. Don't be like that." Asta said while shaking his head. However, when he opened his eyes, he noticed Nash step up with a somewhat reluctant expression.

"Look, if by some chance you actually manage to join the Magic Knights…" Nash started while sporting a smile. "Then I'll start believing too. That dreams really can come true, even a commoner. That I can be whatever I want! And maybe someday, I can be a Magic Knight too!" Hearing Nash's declaration got Asta and the others to smile at Nash, who turned away to mend his pride. "I mean whatever."

"Then I'll be waiting." Asta said with a small grin. Scorbunny took the chance to walk up to Nash and pull on his pants, getting his attention.

"(I'll believe in you, Nash. Don't ever give up)!" Scorbunny said while clenching his paw and smiling at Nash.

"Thanks, Scorbunny. Maybe one day, I'll find a Pokemon as strong as you." Nash said while rubbing Scorbunny between the ears, making him sigh in content.

"Before you go, the grand wizard gave us something to give to you." Sister Lily spoke up before she and Father Orsi took out two small boxes: one black and the other green. They then handed each one to Asta(who got black) and Yuno(who got green).

"(I wonder what they are)." Rowlet questioned as he and Scorbunny climbed on their partners' respective shoulders. Asta and Yuno looked at each other before opening their boxes.

Inside each of them were ten red and white spheres, similar to the one Sister Lily used to summon out Alomomola, as well as a few small bottles and a handheld mirror.

_In the Kingdom of Clover, magic items are used to help Magic Knights and citizens alike. The spheres that Asta and Yuno are looking at are called Pokeballs. An item created by the first Wizard King, Pokeballs are items that are meant to hold Pokemon inside a field of sealing magic. Though possessing a rather small outward appearance, Pokeballs are described to have a rather spacious interior, allowing them to rest during long travels. Once a Pokemon is absorbed inside a Pokeball, five seals will surround the top of the ball before signifying a perfect capture._

"Woah, we actually get Pokeballs?! So cool!" Asta said with stars in his eyes as he grabbed one of the ten spheres inside.

"That's right. The grand wizard explained that each examinee is allowed ten Pokeballs, as well as five healing potions for humans and Pokemon, as well as this." Sister Lily explained before she took out the small mirror from Yuno's box. It had a dark green outline and the shape of the mirror itself was a perfect circle. "These magic mirrors have the information of almost every Pokemon in the Clover Kingdom. Just point it to a Pokemon and it will tell you everything about it." To showcase this, Sister Lily pointed the back of the mirror towards Rowlet before an image of said Pokemon apeared on the other side.

_[R-Rowlet, the Grass Q-Quill Pokemon. I-it uses photosynthesis to store energy during the day, a-and it stays active at night… Is that enough? I'M SORRY IF IT ISN'T!] _A rather meek female voice spoke out from the mirror, surprising everyone.

"Wow, it talks!"

"So cool!"

"But why did it talk like a girl?" Nash questioned with a raised brow.

"Some magic mirrors have different mages speak through them. That's what makes each one different." Father Orsi answered wisely before he looked at Asta. "What about your mirror, Asta?"

"Right!" Asta said in excitement before he took out his mirror and aimed the backside at Scorbunny.

_[Scorbunny, the Rabbit Pokemon. Warming up through running fills this Pokemon with fire energy and when that happens, it's ready to fight. So don't have your kids around this walking firebomb!] _A male voice spoke up from the mirror.

"(HEY)!" Scorbunny shouted at the mirror with a tick mark. He knew how to control his fire, yet this mirror made him sound like a dangerous weapon.

"Woah, so cool! I can't wait to learn about more Pokemon!" Asta said in a giddy voice, ignoring the extra info his mirror told him. "But what about the Pokeballs? How do we, ya know, catch something?"

"Well, all you need to do is tap the ball on a Pokemon." Father Orsi said while scratching his head a bit. He HEARD about how Pokeballs work, but he never actually tried it before. Yuno calmly took out one of the Pokeballs and turned towards Rowlet, who nodded.

"(Got it)." Rowlet said before flying up in the air, patiently waiting for Yuno. Said person casually threw the Pokeball up, hitting Rowlet on the head before it opened up, absorbing the Grass/Flying Pokemon in a pool of magic energy. Everyone watched as the ball closed up and fell on the ground. It shook one, causing ⅕ of it to glow.

Then it shook again, causing another part of it to glow. A third shake occured, covering half of the ball. It shook a fourth time, with the glow covering almost the whole ball.

And with the fifth shake, the ball was covered in a bright light before it disappeared.

"So… did it work?" One of the children couldn't help but ask. The answer came when the red side of the ball shined a bit, creating a small sketch of Rowlet's head.

"It worked. Rowlet is now Yuno's official first Pokemon." Sister Lily said with a smile. "Congratulations, Yuno." The wind magic user kneeled down and picked up the Pokeball, a small smile on his face.

Scorbunny, seeing this, quickly tapped one of Asta's other Pokeballs, causing it to absorb him in.

"Woah, Scorbunny?" Asta questioned in surprise before the ball was covered in a bright light without shaking at all. "Ummm, is that normal?"

"It looks like Scorbunny didn't want to be left out." Nash commented with a hint of interest. Asta and Yuno looked at the balls before throwing them in the air, allowing them to release their Pokemon partners.

"(Okay… that was weird)." Scorbunny admitted while stretching his arms.

"(We'll get used to it… maybe)." Rowlet added while turning his neck around, feeling his bones crack a bit. It wasn't that the Pokeballs were extremely tight, but it was still a weird experience to be inside of them.

"Make sure to watch out for each other, boys. And remember Asta…" Father Orsi walked up to the magicless teen and placed his hands on his shoulders. "No matter what, you and Scorbunny are always welcomed back."

"I know." Asta said, feeling a bit teary eyed. It didn't even occur to him how it would feel to be away from the place he and Yuno grew up in. Man, it was a hard pill to swallow. "Hang on, Yuno can come back too, right?"

"Well yeah… but he'll make it in, for sure." Father Orsi said while turning away, making Asta gawk in shock while the others laugh.

"Let's go, Asta." Yuno said while turning around to walk, with Rowlet flying next to him.

"Wait for us, Yuno." Asta called out as he and Scorbunny ran up to them. "Come on, Lady Killer. Just cause we're rivals doesn't mean we can't be friends." Yuno, in response, began walking a bit faster than Asta. "Hey."

"(I can't wait to get to the capital)." Scorbunny told Rowlet, who smiled back.

"(Yeah. Still, it won't feel the same without them)." Rowlet admitted as he looked back, seeing everyone wave goodbye.

"Good luck!" The whole church gang called out, though Nash merely looked away so no one would see the single tear running down his cheek. In response, Asta, Rowlet and Scorbunny all began waving back, giving them farewells while Yuno just gave a nod back.

'_It's so strange to see them leave. I can't believe how much they're grown.' _Lily thought, still keeping her warm smile. _"Asta still has that energy when he was a kid, and while Yuno wouldn't admit it, Asta helped change him to become a stronger person.' _Unconsciously, tears began to sprinkle her eyes as she saw their figures begin to shrink the farther they went before she wiped them away. _'Good luck, boys. We're proud of you. Take care of each other and your Pokemon.'_

And with that, the journey towards the capital began for Asta and Yuno.

'_Several hours later'_

"Okay, I think that's it." Asta said with a smile as he took one of the Pop Potatoes Sister Lily gave him and Yuno from a small fire he created, blowing on it so it would cool down.

It was around the afternoon when Asta and Yuno decided to set up for lunch, with Scorbunny and Rowlet going out to get some berries. Being the energetic guy he was, Asta was in charge of making the fire while Yuno collected some wood with his wind magic.

"Here ya go, Scorbunny." Asta then handed his partner a Pop Potato on a stick, which he gratefully took. He then did the same for Rowlet, who grabbed it with his wing before taking a bite out of it.

"(No matter how many times I eat these, they always take away all the water in my mouth)." Rowlet said to Scorbunny, though he still continued to eat his potato.

"(Still, Sister Lily always made them taste amazing. I miss her cooking already)." Scorbunny said with his ears dropped while taking a bit out of his potato.

"(Don't tell me you're homesick already)." Rowlet asked his rival with a raised brow. "(It hasn't even been a day)."

"(Don't judge me)." Scorbunny shot back with a pout before he turned around to eat by himself, getting Rowlet to shrug.

"Say, Yuno." Asta suddenly asked his rival, who took a bite out of his own Pop Potato before looking up.

"Yeah?" Yuno questioned simply.

"I was just thinking…" Asta started before he took a second bite of his potato. "We have no idea what kinds of stuff the exam will have, or what they'll have our Pokemon do, right?" Yuno just nodded in response as Asta took a third bite. "I'm thinking maybe we should catch another Pokemon. They might be able to help us out."

Yuno, Rowlet and Scorbunny all stopped eating, looking at Asta with wide eyes. His question was completely true. They had NO idea what was in store for them when they reached the Capital, and yet Asta was able to bring up an idea that would surely give them advantage. ASTA, a guy who wouldn't stop asking a woman of the cloth to marry him, said something smart.

"(Is Asta sick or something)?" Rowler asked Scorbunny, who looked just as surprised as he did.

"(I don't know. Maybe he's actually getting smarter the farther we are from Hage)!" Scorbunny theorized, though it might not be the case at all.

"Hmmm, good point." Yuno said while continuing to eat his potato. Asta, hearing how good his idea was, quickly chomped the rest of his food down before standing up, getting their attention.

"Alright, then it's a deal. We go and find one more Pokemon to join our team!" Asta shouted with a fist in the air before looking at Scorbunny. "Can I count on you, buddy?" The Rabbit Pokemon stuffed his food in his mouth before nodding towards Asta. With that, the two ran somewhere in the woods.

"Just don't go too far." Yuno said, though it was obvious that Asta wouldn't be able to hear him anymore. However, as he was about to eat the last of his potato, Yuno noticed some movement in the grass, causing him and Rowlet to narrow their eyes.

'_With Asta and Scorbunny'_

The loud and energetic duo stopped running, feeling a good distance between them and their rivals. "So… where can we find a good Pokemon to catch?" Asta questioned while scanning the area. To be fair, he never actually went to look for any Pokemon before, with the exception of Scorbunny, so he had no idea where to look.

As for Scorbunny, he took a calm breath as he extended his arms, his ears rising up. If there was one thing Scorbunny was great at, it was using his ears. Asta, noticing this, grinned while copying his Pokemon's stance in order to hear their surroundings.

*Rustle*

The two opened their eyes after hearing some rustling nearby. Glancing at one another, they gave a nod while slowly sneaking towards the closest bush, opening it slowly.

And behind the bush… was the Pokemon that would soon join their team.

Standing on a stump in the middle of the forest was a small bird-like Pokémon that is primarily dark blue, including its wings, tail, back and part of its head. The lower part of its body and chest is yellow and has a black part that begins from under its wings to its face, from which feathers protrude over its head, giving it a mask-like appearance. It has red eyes and small gray feet and legs.

"Who's that Pokemon?" Asta asked dumbly while staring at it. Honestly, it kinda reminded him of that anti magic bird that he and Scorbunny saw a while ago. Speaking of Scorbunny, he reached into Asta's pocket before taking out the magic mirror, showing it to Asta. Looking down, Asta's eyes widened in realization before he grabbed it. "Thanks." He then aimed the mirror at the bird Pokemon, who was pecking the bottom of its wing.

_[Rookidee, the Tiny Bird Pokemon. Despite their small size, these Pokemon will always fight anyone who challenges it and gets stronger with each fight. These little guys are so stubborn, it's a shock they aren't extinct.] _The mirror informed Asta, who put it away.

"Here we go." Asta whispered as he took out a Pokeball from his belt, aiming it at Rookidee. Feeling a small bead of sweat run down his head, Asta took a deep breath… and let out a battle cry. "RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" His voice was so loud, it caused both Scorbunny and Rookidee to jump in surprise.

"(WHAT THE)?!" Rookidee exclaimed as he turned around to see Asta and Scorbunny looking at him, with the former throwing the Pokeball forward. Thinking fast, Rookidee flew up in the air, causing the ball to hit the stump.

"What?!" Asta exclaimed in shock. He was sure his throw was fast enough to catch Rookidee… though, maybe it was because he yelled before throwing it.

"(This is why you need to control your voice)!" Scorbunny yelled at Asta before glaring at Rookidee. "(Sorry about this, but you're coming with us)."

"(Really? You think I'd let you take me)?!" Rookidee asked, as if offended by his words before he swooped down, his beak glowing.

"Oh man, duck!" Asta called out before he and Scorbunny got out of the way of Rookidee's Peck attack. "If he wants a Pokemon fight, let's give him one. Scorbunny, Ember!"

"(Take this)!" Scorbunny opened his mouth before unleashing a barrage of small flames from his mouth, only for Rookidee to dodge them nimbly.

"Woah, that Rookidee's fast. I like it." Asta said out loud with a smile. "But let's see how fast he is after this. Flame Charge!" Scorbunny's entire body was engulfed in flames before he began running forward, jumping high in the air.

"(Huh)?" Rookidee questioned before he barely dodged Scorbunny's attack, though he did get burned a bit on the side. "(Okay, these guys aren't that bad. But I'm not giving up yet)!" With that, the flying Pokemon began clawing at the air a few times, causing his body to briefly glow red before he flew down. Scorbunny, having a speed boost from Flame Charge, began running away for Rookidee, who was slowly catching up.

"Double Kick!" Asta commanded while swiping his arm. The Rabbit Pokemon jumped towards Rookidee, feet extended in order to kick him. But much to his and Asta's surprise, Rookidee barrel rolled over the attack before slamming into Scorbunny's chest, sending him crashing into the ground. "Scorbunny!"

"(I'm fine. Just getting fired up)." Scorbunny said while pushing himself up, wiping some dirt off his face. He then smirked at Rookidee, who raised a brow in interest.

"(What's that look for)?" Rookidee questioned before Scorbunny did something he never thought he would do.

The fire Pokemon began rubbing his feet on the ground, causing his whole body to start glowing hotter and hotter.

'_Hang on, why would he-' _Asta thought before he remembered what the mirror told him. _'Oh yeah! Scorbunny can heat up whenever he runs, and that'll make him stronger!'_

"(I don't know what you're doing, and I don't care. This ends now)!" Rookidee chirped before he nosedived down, his Peck attack ready to finish the fight.

"Wait for it… wait for it… NOW!" With a big smirk, Scorbunny hopped high in the air, dodging Rookidee's Peck. "Flame Charge!"

"(Here comes the boom)!" Scorbunny yelled before his whole body yet again caught fire and he launched himself down to Rookidee.

"(Oh… crap)." Rookidee said before he was hit with Scorbunny's fire attack, sending him bouncing on the ground before his beak got stuck on a nearby tree. "(Oh come on)!"

"Alright! Nice one, Scorbunny!" Asta complimented with a grin as his Pokemon landed in front of him.

"(Pokeball. Use it now)!" Scorbunny tried to explain while gesturing towards Rookidee, who tried desperately to escape. It didn't take Asta long to get the message as he took out a second Pokeball.

"Here we go. Let this be the one!" And with that, Asta threw the Pokeball as hard as he could, sending it rocketing towards the flying Pokemon before hitting him, absorbing him inside. The Pokeball then fell on the ground, shaking a bit. Asta and Scorbunny watched in anticipation as the light coming from the ball began to cover it more and more, until it stopped. Slowly, Asta inched close to the ball, watching it carefully in case Rookidee decided to do something. "I think it worked."

"(Yeah, I think so too)." Scorbunny said while relaxing. Both he and Asta looked at each other for a few quiet moments before grinning broadly.

"WE DID IT/(WE DID IT)!" They cheered while giving each other a high five, scaring away all the wildlife around them. But they didn't care: they caught their fire Pokemon as a team! Quickly, they ran up to the Pokeball, with Asta picking it up and lifting it high in the air.

"We caught Rookidee, our first Pokemon!" Asta declared, with Scorbunny cheering in the background. The magicless teen looked at the Pokeball, which now had a Rookidee emblem on it to show what was inside. "Wow, we actually caught a new Pokemon. This is awesome."

"(We should show Yuno and Rowlet)." Scorbunny suggested, unable to keep his joy in check. His partner noticed his expression and nodded in agreement.

"Come on, let's show them our new friend." Asta said as Scorbunny jumped on his shoulder.

What a way to start a journey.

'_Back at the campsite'_

"Oh, Yuuuuuuuunnnnnnnoooooooo." Asta called out as he ran back to the campsite, with Scorbunny riding on his shoulder. "You'll never guess what I caught."

However, the moment they returned to camp, they noticed something odd.

Yuno and Rowlet were indeed there, relaxing on a nearby log. However, there was another Pokemon there, sucking away on a small flower in Yuno's hand.

It was a tiny Pokémon with a pair of comparatively large wings. It has a pale yellow body with a white face and tail. It has large eyes with spots resembling pixels in them, a long brown proboscis, and two tiny transparent tufts on its head resembling antennae. It has wide, flat white wings with a brown loop marking toward the bottom. In-between its wings is a white tuft of fuzz. It has four spindly legs with round feet.

"(Ummm, did we miss something)?" Scorbunny called out in confusion, getting Yuno and Rowlet's attention.

"Oh, you're back." Yuno said calmly before he looked back at the small Pokemon.

"Who's this?" Asta asked curiously while taking out his magic mirror to scan the new Pokemon.

_[Cutiefly, the Bee Fly Pokemon. Cutiefly can pick up the auras of living things. It skillfully reads those auras to predict its foes' movements and make fools of them. You'd think it's a psychic Pokemon, but it's not.] _The magic mirror told him.

"Cutiefly? Huh." Asta said while putting the mirror down. "So, this is your new Pokemon?"

"That's right." Yuno said while gently rubbing the top of Cutiefly's head with his finger, getting the little Pokemon to smile.

"(Your hands are so warm and cozy)~" Cutiefly said with content before she flew up and nuzzled Yuno on his cheek.

"I found her in the bushes close by and threw a Pokeball at her." Yuno said, his stoic face slowly fading away to a small smile.

"Hang on, you just threw a Pokeball and it worked?" Asta questioned in bewilderment. "When I did it, Rookidee dodged it and we ended up fighting."

"(It's because Asta screamed before throwing the ball)." Scorbunny told Rowlet, who chuckled a bit.

"(Yup, that sounds like Asta)." Rowlet said in amusement.

"So where's your new Pokemon?" Yuno asked with a raised brow. Asta grinned in response before he took out the Pokeball with his newest teammate.

"Rookidee, come on out!" Asta said before throwing the ball in the air, causing it to open while releasing a beam of blue energy on another log. The beam soon took shape until it disappeared, leaving Rookidee in its place. "Yuno, Rowlet, Cutiefly. Meet-"

*Thud*

Before Asta could finish, Rookidee raised his head… and fell over. "Rookidee?!" Asta asked in shock as he and Scorbunny quickly rushed to the little bird's aid. "H-Hey, say something! Don't tell me you're dead! Please!"

"(... Did he just kill that Pokemon)?" Cutiefly asked Rowlet, who sweatdropped.

"(I hope not)." Rowlet said bluntly.

"Asta, didn't you say you fought that Pokemon?" Yuno asked Asta, who nodded rapidly. "Then you'll need to heal it with a potion."

"Oh… OH YEAH!" Asta gasped in realization before he ran to his bag, pulling out one of the potions Sister Lily and Father Orsi gave them. "How much do I give them?"

"A few drops might be enough." Yuno recommended. Asta nodded before he gently picked up Rookidee with one hand. Opening the top of the potion with his teeth, Asta poured a few drops of the green substance onto Rookidee's body, more specifically, on the spots Scorbunny hit. Once the drops hit the Tiny Bird Pokemon's body, the wounds slowly began to close up at a rapid pace.

"(Woah, so that's how a potion works)." Scorbunny muttered in awe from Asta's shoulder as they watched Rookidee's eyes begin to twitch.

"(Ow… what happened)?" Rookidee asked in a groggy tone before he opened his eyes, coming face to face with a relieved Asta and Scorbunny. "(Hey… it's you two)."

"Good to see you're alright." Asta said with a sigh before he smiled apologetically. "Sorry for before. I hope we can be friends."

"(Yeah. We were so focused on catching you that we never thought about how you'd feel about it)." Scorbunny apologized while giving Rookidee a bow. Said Pokemon stood up on Asta's hand, staring at them with a curious expression. Truth be told, he wasn't actually mad at them for earlier, yet he was also curious. They didn't look like bad guys and they were strong as all hell to be able to come up with different strategies. Maybe being around them would help Rookidee get stronger, to the point anyone who tried to challenge him would fall.

So with a smile, Rookidee gave them a nod. "(It's fine. I'd be happy to join you, if you can make me stronger)." Rookidee said with his head held high, making Asta and Scorbunny smile.

"Glad to have you onboard, then." Asta said before he copied Yuno's action from before and rubbed Rookidee's head, much to the flying Pokemon's joy.

This was the beginning of a beautiful partnership.

'_A few days later'_

Days have past since Asta, Yuno and their Pokemon left Hage Village and the path they took was long and hard. They had to walk through harsh deserts, handle misty terrain, rain and even face some rather large Pokemon like Ursaring and Drapion. But no matter how much nature tried to push them back, the two teens powered through, solely focused on facing the Magic Knights Entrance Exam.

"Sheesh, Sister Lily wasn't kidding when she said reaching the Capital wasn't easy." Asta said while wiping his forehead. He then saw an Oran Berry being offered by Scorbunny, who was riding one shoulder while Rookidee rode the other. Asta felt like it was a bit unfair for his Pokemon to be suck in their balls all the time, so he settled with letting them out most of the time. With a smile, Asta took the Oran Berry and ate it.

"(Rookidee, do you know how far the Capital is)?" Scorbunny asked the second flier of the group, who shook his head.

"(I only know the forest you found me in. I don't travel all the time)." Rookidee admitted before he looked over at Cutiefly, who was sitting on Yuno's left shoulder as opposed to Rowlet. "(Cutiefly, do you know if we're close)?"

"(Nope. Not a clue)." Cutiefly said without looking at them before she snuggled on Yuno's cheek for what seemed like the millionth time in a row. "(But I'm sure Yuno will find it for us)."

"(Talk about clingy)." Rowlet said with a sweatdrop as he glanced at the Bug/Fairy Pokemon. He and Cutiefly were on good terms, but the way she always tried to get close to Yuno, even to the point of sleeping next to his face, was downright creepy. However, he was pulled out of his thoughts when Yuno suddenly stopped.

"Hey Yuno, what's up?" Asta asked as he and his rival reached the top of a large mountain. Following his rival's gaze, Asta and his Pokemon look ahead… only to gasp in shock.

Ahead of them was none other than the Capital of Clover Kingdom. It was so large, filled with hundreds of buildings, with the palace of the Wizard King standing proudly on top.

"No way… the Capital. We made it." Asta muttered in genuine shock.

"(After all this time)..." Scorbunny trailed off, unable to express how he was feeling. Rookidee too was shocked, though he didn't feel like adding anything new. Rowlet and Cutiefly(who turned her attention away from Yuno for the time being) were also shocked at the size of the Capital.

"You see that up there, guys? That's where the Wizard King lives, and where we'll be in a few years." Asta told his Pokemon as a big grin began to grow on his face before he threw a fist in the air. "Time to do this thing!" And with that, Asta began running down the hill, ready to tackle whatever challenges the Magic Knights Entrance Exam brings him.

Yuno merely smiled at his rival's behavior before running after him.

No way were they going home after all they went through.

Today… they were going to make history.

**Let me make one thing clear: if anyone, and I mean ANYONE, suggests a Pokemon x Human pairing at all, then I tell them to read another story. I have my principles and humans banging beasts does not fit them at all. Seriously, what is it with people pairing their OCs with Gardevoir and stuff? It just creeps me out.**

**But anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter because honestly… I enjoyed writing this. Yes, it STILL follows what happened in canon, but I added a few new things like Asta and Yuno being there when Father Orsi and Sister Lily while they talk to the old wizard. Hope you guys also liked the unique way Pokeballs work in this story, as well as the magic mirrors. I like to thank BulletstormX for the idea on the magic mirrors. AS you guys can see, these mirrors have different personalities just to add some humor to this story.**

**As some of you might know, Black Clover is now having its very first original arc and I have to say, I'm interested. But where, or where, is our Black Clover movie? All I'm asking.**

**To make it easier for all of you to know what Pokemon are with each person, I'll do a party list at the end of each chapter.**

**Asta**

**Pokemon: Scorbunny. Type: Fire. Ability: Blaze.**

**Moves: Ember, Flame Charge, Double Kick.**

**Rookidee. Type: Normal/Flying. Ability: Pressure.**

**Moves: Peck, Hone Claws, Power Trip**

**Yuno**

**Pokemon: Rowlet. Type: Grass/Flying. Ability: Overgrow.**

**Moves: Leafage, Peck, Gust.**

**Cutiefly. Type: Bug/Fairy. Ability: Shield Dust.**

**Moves: Fairy Wind, Stun Spore, Absorb.**

**If you guys have anymore Pokemon recommendations for the characters, please tell me in the reviews or PM me.**

**Follow, Fav, Review and PM for anything. **

**Next time: Let the trials begin!**


	3. Chapter 3: Let the trials begin!

**What's up, guys? The 3rd dragneel, returning with the third chapter of Pokemon: Clover. This story… Holy shit do I enjoy writing it. Seriously, we need more good Black Clover stories and NOT ONES THAT SHIP ASTA AND YUNO. LIKE WHAT THE HELL? Not against homosexuals at all(my cousin is lesbian), but those stories are not my cup of tea. I get that not everyone likes Black Clover, but there are too many Naruto stories that I can't even enjoy them. I just hope people take a story like this as an example to join into the BC hype train.**

**But enough about that, let's answer some reviews.**

**Stephanieeiche10: Oh, I lost my sanity years ago. At this point, I'm holding onto straws.**

**Mastergamer14: Those are definitely interesting(and you already got two of Asta's Pokemon down to a T). Same with Noelle. I'll take a look at Burst Evolution(though it sounds like the Burst mode from Digimon Data Squad).**

**Ds hero: Gible would be good, but I am not a fan of Trubbish, sorry. And that Beldum idea sounds hilarious too. As I said, no dynamaxing will occur in this story since it is really off.**

**TheFreezerStreets: Then prepared to be disappointed lol.**

**Fairydragon2099: Thanks.**

**GirlFish: Man, that is a depressing way to give someone a Pokemon. Sharpedo can work for Solid and Nebra can have Frillish. **

**Stormbreaker42: I mean Asta will get some dark Pokemon, regardless. Why wouldn't I give him a few? And of course Yami will get some great Pokemon.**

**BanRedfox: All of those Pokemon are good ideas and I might actually use them.**

**MaMcMu: Damnit, you're right.**

**Rebellion Rose: Glad you enjoy this story as much as I do.**

**Haney: I do have some people in mind for Rockruff.**

**To recap: After months of training with their Grimoire and Pokemon, as well as discovering the name of the strange creature they saw, Asta and Yuno were ready to go to the Capital of Clover in order to participate in the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. Once they said their goodbyes to their family, the teens and their Pokemon set out on their journey, though they decided to capture two new Pokemon: Rookidee and Cutiefly. After traveling for a long time, the group was finally able to reach the capital, ready for whatever challenges awaited them.**

**Let us see how our heroes will handle the exam.**

The Castle town of Kikka.

The place where the Magic Knights Entrance Exam was to take place in. It was much, much larger than Hage, that much was certain. Fireworks were being lite in the sky and the townsfolk were minding their own business, trying to get by for the day.

Still, what was usually normal for the people of Kikka was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Asta and Yuno.

"This is so cool!" Asta exclaimed while looking around, a big smile on his face. He had never been in a place as big as this and he just got there too. "What do you think, guys?"

"(Look at all the magic users)." Scorbunny said in astonishment as he began to look around, noticing the variety of magic being used by the shopkeepers.

"(And there are so many places to sleep on)." Rookidee said as he took note of all the roofs and window sills he can use to make a nest in the event they stayed there.

"(These apples smell fresh)." Rowlet said as he flew over a fruit stand, sniffing all the fruit on display.

"Like what you see, little guy?" The fruit vendor asked rhetorically with a smile before he grabbed an Oran Berry and tossed it to Rowlet, allowing him to catch it with his mouth before eating it. Noticing the looks on Scorbunny, Rookidee and even Cutiefly(who had taken a break from cuddling Yuno), the fruit vendor sighed before he tossed them Oran Berries.

"Thank you." Asta said to the vendor before he and Yuno continued to walk ahead. The ash blonde teen then noticed a large display of weapons. "Whoa, check out all the swords!" He quickly rushed over to see the price, only to jaw drop at the outragous price.

"(Yeah, we are not going to buy that anytime soon)." Scorbunny said in a sympathetic tone as he and Rookidee patted Asta's head to comfort him.

"This place is definitely a far cry from the village, huh?" Yuno asked Asta bluntly before said person looked up, staring at the palace.

"Woah, that's where the Wizard King lives?" Asta asked, only for Yuno to nod.

"Probably the country's king too." Yuno answered as he and his Pokemon looked up as well.

"(You could fit a lot of families in there. Wonder how the kids would like it)." Rowlet said before he frowned a bit, something Cutiefly noticed.

"(Are you okay)?" Cutiefly asked, more curious than concerned.

"(Nothing. Just thinking about home)." Rowlet admitted before he and the others heard crying from behind, belonging to a small baby from the back of a red haired teen that looked a year older than Asta and Yuno. She was carrying several bags of groceries and three younger children with similar hair color behind her.

"Hey, come on, sweetie. Don't cry." The red haired girl said to the baby before she and her siblings walked again. "We're almost home, and you can play with Wooloo and Buneary all you want." With that, she and her siblings left, not noticing Asta, Yuno and their Pokemon watching them.

"Just like the kids back home." Asta said with a sad sigh before he perked up, looking at Scorbunny with a smile. "I bet they miss us, huh?"

"(Probably. But I'm glad they don't use me as a hug buddy)." Scorbunny said with a shiver. Because they all shared a room, the fire rabbit Pokemon was the unfortunate victim of hugs by the children at the church. He looked at Rowlet, who gave him a solemn nod. It was clear that Scorbunny wasn't the only hug buddy the kids used when they were sleepy or scared.

*Growl*

The group were caught off guard by the sound of a deep growl… coming from Asta's stomach. "Hehehe, man I'm hungry." Asta said before his nose caught a whiff of an interesting smell. Turning his head, Asta's mouth began to water as he saw a stand with several roasted snakes on a stick. Without a moment to lose, Asta rushed towards the stand. "These smell great."

"Oh, you want some of my grilled violet snake? I made it myself." The old woman said with a sweet smile.

"Yes! How much?" Asta asked with hungry eyes, focused on the grilled violet snakes. The old woman gave him a price, which Asta quickly paid before he snatched a snake and took a bite out of it, reveling in the taste. "Hmmm, tasty. Thank you."

"You're welcome. And good luck on the Exams!" The old lady called out, getting looks from Asta, Yuno and their Pokemon before they decided to move on.

"Here, want some?" Asta offered Yuno, only for him to shake his head. "Scorbunny? Rowlet? Cutiefly? Rookidee?"

"(I don't know. It smells awful)." Rookidee said with a scrunchy face as he and Scorbunny took a whiff of Asta's snake. Because of their senses, the Pokemon were able to distinguish between something that was good and something that was bad. And this grilled violet snake was REALLY bad. Rowlet and Cutiefly also shook their heads, making Asta shrug his shoulders.

"Suit yourself. More for me!" Asta licked his lips before he opened his mouth, biting down on the snake.

"WAIT!" A girly voice called out from behind, getting the boys and their Pokemon to turn around. But once they did… two hands grabbed Asta's cheeks, catching him off guard. "Don't swallow!"

"Huh?!" Asta grunted as he and Yuno took in the appearance of the newcomer.

She was a cute slender and slightly tall girl around their age with tan skin, long green hair kept in two tree-shaped twintails, and light green eyes. She had a fake pink flower in her hair, which she holds in place with green vine-like straps. In addition to this, she wore a pink tube top, light gray overalls with spiky white frills, a white clover-shaped mark on the waist, and a berry-storing pouch above the bust, and green and white shoes with small dark green bows. She also had a golden clover-shaped badge on her waist just above the white clover-shaped mark. On her back was a dark brown backpack and two spoons on the side. The girl narrowed her eyes, staring straight into Asta's dark green pupils.

"(Ummm, does anyone know who she is)?" Scorbunny questioned, clearly confused by who this girl was and why she was stopping Asta from eating.

"Con I hulp gyou?" Asta asked through his muffled voice, blinking in confusion. Yuno was just as confused about this as his brother was.

"Let me see that snake." The girl said in a serious tone before she snagged Asta's food from his hand, sniffing it a few times. She then sighed while shaking her head. "Just as I thought. This grilled violet snake isn't cooked well enough and the spices used on it haven't mixed well."

"Mixed well?" Yuno asked with a raised brow.

"If you eat a violet snake without the proper spices and temperature, then you'll end up upsetting your stomach." The girl said in a knowing tone before a smile crept on her face. "Luckily, there's a berry that you can eat so you won't upset your stomach." Reaching into her left pocket, the girl pulled out a Nomel berry. "Just eat this after you finish, kay?" She let go of Asta's face, giving him the berry.

"Ummm, thanks… I guess. But did you have to grab my face?" Asta said while rubbing said cheeks. They didn't hurt at all, but he was just caught off guard by her action.

"Hehehe, sorry about that." The girl said with an embarrassed tone while rubbing the back of her head. "But violet snakes aren't the best thing to eat without proper cooking." She lowered her hand while giving the two a friendly smile. "I'm Mallow, by the way. Mallow Taiyo."

"Asta. This is Yuno and our partners Scorbunny, Rowlet, Rookidee and Cutiefly." Asta introduced the group while gesturing his arm. The Pokemon said their names in response while Yuno merely nodded.

"Nice to meet all of you!" Mallow said cheerfully before she focused her attention towards Rowlet, who turned his head sideways.

"(Is something wro-AHHH)!" Before Rowlet could finish, Mallow suddenly scooped the Grass/Flying type into her arms, hugging him tightly against her chest.

"You are such a cutie!" Mallow squealed while wagging Rowlet left and right, hearts popping in the air to show her affection. The others watched in slight bewilderment at her actions, with Yuno especially sweatdropping.

"I don't think he can breath." Yuno said bluntly, noticing the change in color for his Pokemon's face.

"(Help… me…)" Rowlet whimpered while extending a wing towards the other Pokemon, who could only stare back.

"Huh?" Mallow looked down, noticing Rowlet's face color before she released him. "Oops! Sorry." Rowlet let out several gasps of air, flying back to Yuno's shoulder as his color returned to normal.

"(She's got some grip)." Cutiefly commented in slight amusement as Rowlet coughed a few times.

"(Gee, you think)?!" Rowlet asked rhetorically while glaring at Cutiefly.

"That was a bit much." Yuno told Mallow, who chuckled sheepishly.

"Yeah. I just love Grass types and whenever I see one, I get a little crazy." Mallow said before she clapped her hands together and bowed her head. "Again, I'm sorry."

"(Are we here)?" Mallow's backpack suddenly began to shake, surprising Asta and Yuno, as well as their Pokemon. The top of it opened up, revealing a small Pokémon resembling a mangosteen. Most of its body is pinkish-purple with a short, white skirt around its waist, which resembles the flesh of a mangosteen when it is cut open. It has beady yellow eyes and two tiny legs. On top of its head is a green calyx. This structure consists of four leafy green formations and a short stem. The Pokemon let out a cute yawn before looking over Mallow's shoulder, noticing the orphans from hage and their Pokemon looking at her. "(Oh, hi)."

"Glad you're awake, Bounsweet." Mallow said with a smile while rubbing her Pokemon's head, getting a coo in response.

"Bounsweet?" Yuno questioned before he took out his magic mirror.

_[B-Bounsweet, the Fruit P-Pokemon. __I-It tries to resist being swallowed by a b-bird Pokémon by spinning the sepals on its head. It's usually a fruitless attempt. Poor little thing. BOUNSWEET LIVES MATTER!] _Yuno's mirror informed everyone.

"Yup. Bounsweet is my best friend back home." Mallow informed them before she noticed Bounsweet looking around with a frantic expression. A thought then occurred in Mallow's mind. "That's right! The Entrance Exam!"

"Wait, you're taking the test too?!" Asta exclaimed in surprise, getting Mallow's full attention.

"You guys are here to be Magic Knights? That's so cool!" Mallow said, her smile returning to her face before she ran over to them, grabbing Asta and Yuno's wrists as she began pulling them. "Well let's go! I have a friend waiting for me over there and the tests will start soon."

"H-Hey!" Asta said with wide eyes at the strength behind such a girl.

"I can walk on my own." Yuno told her with a flat line on his mouth, though Mallow just ignored them. The Pokemon looked at each other before shrugging.

They needed to go anyway. Might as well have someone guide them.

'_Magic Knights Entrance Exam coliseum'_

As per year, the Magic Knights Entrance Exam is held at the center of the city, inside a large coliseum like structure that allows some freedom for the examinees to showcase their power to the Magic Knight Captains. In addition to this, a large crowd of civilians come to gather outside of the building in order to cheer on those participating in the test.

It is here we see Mallow's friend waiting outside of the crowd with a rather annoyed frown on his face.

"I take my eyes off her for ONE second and she runs off to buy ingredients. I told her we can do that after the exam, but no. She decides to do it one hour before the exam begins." A male teen said with his red eyebrow twitching a bit. He was a fairly built teen, with dark skin, black eyes and orange and brown hair that is styled in the shape of a flame. His attire consisted of grey shorts with several pockets on both sides, a white tank top over a black button up shirt, red open toe sandals and a handmade necklace with different shells on it. "Honestly, I should've seen this coming from her."

"(Maybe she had to go to the bathroom. This is a big day and she could be nervous)." The Pokemon next to him said while using his tall stature to look for Mallow and Bounsweet. Standing next to the teen was a bipedal, turtle-like Pokémon with a spiny shell. Its skin is a muted green and only visible on its limbs, tail, head, and neck. On top of its head is an additional shell with many points around the brim. This extra shell has a black center, yellow in the middle, and a red outer rim. Its eyes have black markings around the bottom, and it has a tubular, yellow snout with a single, large nostril. It has a wide mouth with the lower lip marked by a jagged yellow line extending from its nose. On each side of its long neck are two short, triangular projections. Its front legs have mitten-like hands, while its hind feet have claw-like red growths around them. Most of its tail is also covered by red plating, which has fin-like projections. The shell that encases its body has a red underside with a star-shaped, yellow-rimmed hole in the center. The back of the shell has a yellow center with several spikes: four large spikes with red bases form a star-shape in the center with four smaller spikes around them. The Pokemon then looked towards the end of the crowd, seeing a familiar green haired girl running with two guys being dragged by her. "(Kiawe)."

"Hmm?" The teen known as Kiawe glanced towards his partner, who pointed at the crowd. "What is it Turtonator?" Curious, Kiawe looked at where the fire type was looking, only to notice Mallow. "Finally. Let's go." With that, both Kiawe and Turtonator ran towards their friend, though the former was much slower given his body size.

"And here we are!" Mallow said with a satisfied smile as she, Asta and Yuno finally stopped, allowing her to release them from her grip.

"Thanks for bringing us, but did you have to drag us here?" Asta asked while rubbing his wrist along with Yuno.

"Hey, we were in a hurry." Mallow said innocently, her smile still plastered on her face.

"(Wow, it's so big! Way bigger than any building back home)!" Bounsweet said, her eyes glued to the building in front of them.

"(Look at all the people going inside)." Scorbunny said as he and the others noticed several examinees entering the colosseum, with the citizens cheering them on. The capital was much different than the people back in Hage were, and that was refreshing.

"There you are, Mallow." Kiawe spoke up as he and Turtonator reached the group.

"Oh, hey Kiawe, Turtonator." Mallow said with a wave long with Bounsweet, getting a frown from the dark skinned teen.

"I hope your little trip was worth it. The exam's starting in a few minutes." Kiawe said in a disapproving tone before he turned his attention towards the teens from Hage. "And who are they?"

"Hey. Name's Asta. And these are my Pokemon, Scorbunny and Rookidee." Asta introduced himself with a smile.

"(Hi/Hello)." Scorbunny and Rookidee greeted with nods.

"Yuno. This is Rowlet and Cutiefly." Yuno said simply as his Pokemon simply nodded.

"Kiawe Kazan. This is my partner, Turtonator." Kiawe replied back while shaking hands with Asta and Yuno.

"(Hello)." Turtonator said in a deep, friendly tone, despite his rather towering appearance. The smaller Pokemon, minus Bounsweet, all reeled back from Turtonator, even if he was being friendly. Asta took out his magic mirror and aimed it at Kiawe's Pokemon.

_[Turtonator, the Blast Turtle Pokemon. Explosive substances coat the shell on its back. Enemies that dare attack it will be blown away by an immense detonation. So if you want to congratulate this big guy, don't give him a back pat.] _Asta's mirror informed them.

"Let me guess: you two are taking the exam too?" Kiawe questioned rhetorically, getting nods from the two males. "Well, let's go. Otherwise, we'll have to watch another year."

"Yeah. Let's do this!" Asta cheered with a clenched fist before he ran after the other examinees, hearing the citizens call out to him with cheers. "Thank you! I'll do my best!"

"If anyone asks, I don't know him." Yuno said flatly before he proceeded to walk after Asta, with Mallow, Kiawe and Turtonator following suit. The four eventually reached the lines for entrance in the Entrance Exam, forcing them to temporarily split up. Those working to register each examinee as well as their Pokemon gave each of the four a number: Yuno 164, Asta 165, Kiawe 199 and Mallow 223. Once they were registered, the four regrouped with the rest of the examinees in the middle of the colosseum.

"Wow, look at everyone here, Bounsweet!" Mallow said in awe as she looked at all the different people and Pokemon.

"(So many people. It's kinda scary)." Bounsweet said with a small shiver before she noticed several anti magic birds flying above her, licking their lips in anticipation. This was enough to make the Grass type hide back inside Mallow's backpack.

"Geez, what's with all these anti magic birds?" One of the examinees complained while swatting away said birds, with his Sneasel swiping at them with its claws.

"That's because they can sense low magic." Another examinee said with a smirk while raising a finger. "The lower your magic is, the more anti magic birds you'll attract."

"Oh yeah." The first examinee commented before he looked ahead, noticing Yuno and Kiawe were anti bird free. "Damn. Those two must have a lot of magic if none of the anti magic birds would go anywhere near them."

"HEY! BACK OFF!" Unfortunately for a certain magic-less boy, he was surrounded by dozens of anti magic birds, who were peaking at him to no end. Asta kept waving his hand, trying his best to scare the birds away.

"(Ember)!" Scorbunny launched his Ember attack on the birds, scaring them away.

"Thanks pal." Asta thanked his partner, who smiled in response.

"Wow, I know they go after those with low magic power, but that was nuts." Mallow said with a hint of concern in her voice. "Are you okay?" Asta gave her a nod in response.

"(Honestly, these things make Flying types look bad)." Rookidee said with a scoff as he looked at all the anti magic birds… until his eyes laid on one.

It was the same Anti Magic bird that was in the demon's skull back in Hage. Its blank expression and horn-like hair looked at Rookidee, whose eyes widened in shock. This bird was so different, so independent… so pretty.

"(Ummm, Rookidee? You okay)?" Scorbunny asked as Asta's second Pokemon began flying towards the Anti Magic bird, who took notice of this.

"(Hello, my lady. How are you this fine day)?" Rookidee said in a swav tone, getting a sweat drop from the bird before it began flying away. "(Wait! I have others if you don't like that one)!"

"Hey Rookidee, get back here!" Asta called out as he and Scorbunny ran after their flying friend, getting everyone to laugh at how ridiculous they were acting. "Come on! The exam's starting in-!"

*Smack*

Asta let out a yelp as he crashed into something tall and strong, causing him to fall on his ass. "Owww…"

"(Asta)!" Scorbunny and Mallow quickly rushed to the short teen's aid, helping him stand up.

"What did I hit, a wall?" Asta questioned while rubbing his face.

"Ummm, A-Asta? That wasn't a wall you hit." Mallow said with an audible gulp, much to Asta's confusion as he opened his eyes… only to see

"You got a death wish, boy?" A rough, tired voice called out as the speaker turned towards Asta and Mallow, a purple aura surrounding them. They were a tall man with a very muscular build. He has grey eyes and black hair of medium length that is messily combed backward, making it stick outwards. Additionally, he sports a stubble mustache and beard. His attire is very simple and consists only of a white A-shirt and black trousers. The trousers have an extra layer of tan leather that covers his outer thighs and down to his knees. The trousers are only supported by a belt around his waist. He wears another pair of belts, one of which he uses to carry his grimoire. Lastly, he wears black high boots that cover most of his calves. In addition to this, he wears a black banner with a bull with gold lines around it. He wears it over his right shoulder and it is attached by two strings to his left shoulder. The banner also has tattered edges, seeming to have been ripped off from a bigger banner. And in his mouth was a cigarette, which emitted smoke, indicating that it had been lit for sometime.

Just looking at this guy brought up one question in Asta's mind.

'_WHO IS THIS GUY?!' _Asta thought with a panicked expression. _'HE'S GOT THE EYES OF A KILLER!'_

'_(WHY IS HIS NECK SO THICK?! IT'S LIKE HE'S A RHYDON OR SOMETHING)!' _Scorbunny also thought as he hid behind Mallow.

"Well? You got something to say?" The man said in a bored tone.

"W-We're so sorry f-for that, sir!" Mallow said while bowing her head, along with Scorbunny in an attempt to quell this man's fury. _'His magic is so strong. Even when he's not using it, I feel like I can't breath. Who is he?'_

'_Hang on. I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Maybe this guy is the same age as me, but he had a hard life.' _Asta thought as he steeled his posture. _'Time to make a new friend.' _Taking a deep breath, Asta reached out and patted the man's shoulder, despite their size difference, and gave him a friendly smile. "Wow. You look really old. Must have had a rough childhood, huh?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the two, with Yuno and Kiawe watching from afar.

"That idiot." Yuno muttered to himself with a sigh before he turned towards Kiawe… who gaped his mouth in shock. "What is it?"

"T-T-T-That's him." Kiawe stuttered with sweat running down his head.

"(Him who? Turtonator, do you)-" Rowlet questioned the fire turtle, only to see him step back a few feet, the same fearful expression on his partner's face.

It was at this moment Asta knew… he messed up.

The man grabbed Asta's head with one hand, lifting him up while squeezing it. "Looks like I was right about that death wish." The man said with glowing red eyes as the aura around him intensified, causing Asta to scream in fear.

'_THIS GUY IS INSANE!' _Asta thought as he felt his skull being crushed. Who knew a guy like this could be this strong? Scratch that, his thick neck and big muscles were a given warning. One which Asta unfortunately didn't notice.

"(Leave. Him. ALONE)!" Scorbunny shouted as he ran up to the man and started kicking him as hard as he could in the legs, though this didn't seem to work. The man, noticing this, reached down and grabbed Scorbunny by his ears with his right hand, lifting him up in the air.

"Huh. I could go for some rabbit stew." The man said, causing all the color on Scorbunny's face to disappear as sweat ran down his face.

"(ROOKIDEE, HELP)!" Scorbunny called out, only to find that said Pokemon was nowhere to be found. "(TRAITOR)!"

"Captain, there you are. What are you doing?" A newcomer asked while he and his two companions walked through the crowd towards Asta and the older man. The speaker was a slender young man of average height and build. He has droopy pink eyes and his dirty blond hair is somewhat unruly. He wore a white undershirt over a light green, loose-fitting tunic with long sleeves and long tails at the back. He also wears dark trousers and a green pair of wide, knee-high boots that lace up the front. He wore a mantle that was the same as the older man's and his grimoire holder is on his left hip. He also wears a pair of green earrings.

The second person was a slender, young man with pale skin and short black hair that is slicked back. His face is long with a large nose and lacks eyebrows. He wears black eyeshadow in large circles around his red eyes, and also wears black lipstick and nail polish. His attire consists of a dark grey jacket red trimming and red cuffs. His pants are a matching grey and are tucked into knee-high black boots. He wears a black belt over his jacket and a black pouch for his grimoire hangs on his left hip. Over this, he wears the same robe as the other two. His dark grey peaked cap has a black band and bill.

Hovering behind the second man was a primarily yellow, humanoid Pokémon. It has two long, pointed ears on top of its head, a red star on its forehead, narrow, deep-set eyes, and wide cheeks leading down to a thin snout. Extending from each side of its snout are two mustache-like tufts of fur. Its torso is segmented with bulky shoulders, a thick, brown chest, and a small abdomen marked by three red, wavy lines. Attached to the Pokémon's abdomen is a large, thick tail encircled with a brown band near its base. Its arms are thin with brown elbows and end in three-fingered hands with white claws. Its legs have prominent knees and large, three-toed feet, also ending in white claws. Two of its toes face forward and one backward. It also carried a single spoon in its right hand.

"Just about to wring this kid's neck and have some rabbit for lunch. You want some?" The man said without a care in the world, even as Asta and Scorbunny tried desperately to escape his grip.

"Hang on, is that who I think it is?"

"It is. That's Finral Roulacase, wielder of Spatial magic!"

"Spatial magic? That sounds amazing!" Mallow said with stars in her eyes before Finral suddenly came up to her with a dashing smile.

"Well, what's your name, miss?" Finral asked with a flirtatious tone, making Mallow blush a bit.

"Oh yeah. The flirter who spends more time flirting than actually doing his work." One of the examinees said as everyone gave Finral a blank stare. Before Mallow could answer, a light blue outline suddenly surrounded Finral, pulling the magic knight away from the green haired girl.

"H-Hey! What are you doing, Kadabra?!" Finral shouted towards the yellow Pokemon, who sighed in disapproval.

"(Finral, must we do this every time? It won't help the Black Bulls' reputation. Although we don't have much of a popular one anyways)." Kadabra said with a sweatdrop as he lowered his human partner next to him.

"What Pokemon is that?" Yuno questioned before he took out his magic mirror.

_[K-Kadabra, the Psi Pokemon. __It possesses s-strong mental capabilities, but its psychic powers are halved when it's not holding a silver spoon. It must lose so many spoons. SO TRAGIC!] _Yuno's mirror cried out.

"You really need to get that fixed or something." Kiawe told Yuno, who nodded in response.

"Check out the other guy. That's Gordon Agrippa, a Hex Magic User!"

"I heard he's socially awkward."

"Wouldn't you be if you looked like him? He's kinda scary." The examinees continued to whisper to themselves, flinching as they saw Gordon turn towards them.

"Please… stop…" Asta moaned out as he felt his consciousness slowly begin to slip.

"Wait, please stop!" Mallow exclaimed while running up to the captain. "Please sir. We really are sorry, but you shouldn't kill him just because he bumped into you."

"Oh? Do you wanna take his place then?" The captain asked with a raised brow, getting Mallow to shrink a bit while giving Asta an apologetic expression.

"Sorry Asta." Mallow apologized, much to Asta's horror.

"Ten, nine, eight…" The captain started counting down from ten, making Asta panic even more.

"Who is that?" Yuno asked Kiawe, who crossed his arms with a deep frown.

"That's Yami Sukehiro. Captain of the Black Bulls squad, one of the most disfunctional magic knights squads in all of Clover." Kiawe said before he shuttered a bit. "They call him the God of Destruction. Judging by the way he's crushing Asta tells you how strong he is."

"(And since he pissed him off, it looks like Asta and Scorbunny are dead)." Rowlet said while turning his head, flinching at the sound of Asta's skull cracking.

"I think that's enough, Captain Yami." Finral said, getting over his flirting(for now.) "Do you know how much trouble you'll be in for killing an examinee? What were you even doing here?"

"Needed to take a dump, but got lost instead." Yami said with a mild shrug. "By the way, weren't you watching Tauros?"

"You know we can't keep him down! Why'd you even bring him?" Finral asked his captain.

"Cause if he's kept in the base for too long, he'll snap and destroy a village or two." Yami said like it was the simplest thing in the world. The rest of the examinees all began to take a step away from Yami and his squadmates.

If any of them ended up in the Black Bulls, they would be royally screwed.

"I… WON'T… DIE… HERE!" Asta suddenly grabbed Yami's hand, standing his ground as he tried his hardest to break free. Meanwhile, Scorbunny swung himself up to Yami's other arms, biting it as hard as his little mouth could. Yami watched in slightly interest as the two he was holding fought against him.

*Boom*

Before Yami could even respond, fireworks suddenly began to explode in the sky. "Well, it looks like the exam is about to start." Finral said rhetorically before he turned towards Yami. "We should go before it's too late." Yami merely scoffed before he let go of Asta and Scorbunny, who fell to the ground while rubbing their heads(or ears in Scorbunny's case).

"You two got a second chance at living. Better make the most out of it or I'll kill ya." Yami said offhandedly before he, Finral and Gordon walked away. Kadabra used his psychic abilities to help Asta and his partner stand up, giving them a bow.

"(I do apologize for Captain Yami's rather brutal grip. Please don't take them to heart)." Kadabra said before he flew after the Black Bulls.

"That was not fun at all." Asta groaned while rubbing the top of his head. "You okay, pal?"

"(I need Sister Lily's ear massages. They were the best)." Scorbunny whined as he touched his ears, only to flinch at the sore pain.

"That's why you should probably watch where you run." Mallow said with a small giggle before she frowned. "Sorry I couldn't help."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I've taken way worse." Asta waved her off while smiling. "Besides, if I'm gonna be Wizard King, I need to take as many hits as I need too!"

"Ha ha. That's quite the dream." A sleezy voice called out, getting Asta, Mallow and Scorbunny to turn their heads. The newcomer was a teenager with a lean build and medium-length blond hair. His hair is combed backward and held together with a black hairband, leaving only several strands left hanging in front of his forehead. His attire consists of a grey shirt with a dark grey vest with a wide V-shaped collar on top of it. He also wears white trousers and a pair of black high boots that have a pair of tan belts on each of them. In addition, he wears a tan belt that is connected to a pouch that he uses to carry his grimoire. The pouch is placed on his left-hand side. On top of everything, he wears a magenta coat with long sleeves and black horizontal stripes around the forearms. He let out a smirk while giving Asta and Mallow a two finger salute. "Standing up to Captain Yami of the Black Bulls was a brave move." The teen commended Asta before turning towards Mallow. "It's even more impressive that you were also willing to face him. I'm Sekke, by the way. Sekke Bronzazza."

"Hi. I'm Mallow and this is Asta." Mallow introduced while Asta waved his hand.

The anti magic birds suddenly perked up at the feeling of immense magic energy, causing them all to fly away in fear, catching everyone's attention. Just then, everyone else besides Asta felt the magic, followed by the sounds of footsteps on the upper floor. "Here they come." Kiawe said with narrowed eyes.

And just like that… the Magic Knight Captains had arrived.

The first Captain to take a seat in one of the many chairs available for the captains was a slender male with fair skin, narrow purple eyes, and small eyebrows. He has pale, silver-white hair worn in a very distinctive style that is occasionally remarked upon by other characters. He keeps his hair long and straight at the lower back, the top and upper side portions of his hair are heavily styled and swept back into a long spiky fringe. His long bangs are styled into a braid that hangs between his eyes and down to the tip of the nose, where a small cross shaped pendant was attached to it. His clothing consisted of a loose fitting shirt with a high collar that is kept closed at the top by a gold band but is left open below to expose his collarbone. He also wears loose pants, with tight bands just below the knee, and flimsy sandals. In addition, he wore what looked to be a royal robe with an eagle on it. This robe consists of a short, fur mantle with longer, frilled panels that hang down to the elbow. Like other squads, their squad insignia is placed on the left side of their robes. His mantle also has an attached robe that is long enough to reach nearly to his feet. His grimoire case is positioned on his left hip.

Landing next to the captain was a silver-gray, avian Pokémon with a long, metallic blue neck, legs, and tail. It has yellow eyes, a pointed beak with several pointed teeth, and a triangular crest on its head. There are red feathers under the sheaths that cover its sharp wings, and each feather can be moved independently. Its feet have three toes on them, two in front and one in back, and its tail has hooked ends.

"That's Nozel Silva, captain of the Silver Eagles. Next to him is his preferred partner Skarmory." Sekke informed Asta and Mallow, who looked at said captain in awe.

"He's a Silva, one of the Royal family. That cross on his hair is the symbol for the Silva family." Mallow said with big wide eyes, with Bounsweet poking out of her backpack to see.

"(B-But that Pokemon he has is s-scary)." Bounsweet said nervously, noticing the rather serious glare Skarmory had.

"(But how can he even see with that hair)?" Scorbunny couldn't help but question, given how much of a nuisance Nozel's hairstyle might be.

"So that's a Captain and their Pokemon." Yuno said as he and Kiawe walked next to Asta and Mallow, with the former taking out his magic mirror.

_[S-Skarmory, the armor bird Pokemon. __Skarmory is entirely encased in hard, protective armor. This Pokémon flies at close to __190 mph__. It slashes foes with its wings that possess swordlike cutting edges. IT LOOKS SO SCARY!] _Yuno's mirror informed them.

The second captain was a tall man with purple eyes and long, straight vermillion hair. His hair is neatly combed to the back while leaving his long fringe combed to the left in a wavy hairstyle. One of his notable features is the red markings around his eyes. Another one is a diamond-shaped mark of similar color on the center of his forehead. Additionally, he also wears a pair of red earrings. His attire consists of a white tunic which is covered by a dark blue shirt with long sleeves and high collar. The shirt is decorated with gold-colored fabric with vertical stripes design on its edges, collars, and along the sleeves. In order to keep the shirt together, he wears a purple sash around his waist. Moreover, he wears white trousers and black high boots with similar design as his shirt. On top of his attire, he wears a long red cape. squad robe has similar color as his personal robe. The robe has gold intricate designs at the lower front edge and complemented with a scarf of similar red color. Additionally, a pair of gold-colored ropes are protruding from between the scarf and the robe at the front and a purple stone is decorating each end. Lastly, the squad's insignia is located at the center back of the robe.

Next to the second captain was a draconic, bipedal Pokémon. It is primarily orange with a cream underside from the chest to the tip of its tail. It has a long neck, small blue eyes, slightly raised nostrils, and two horn-like structures protruding from the back of its rectangular head. There are two fangs visible in the upper jaw when its mouth is closed. Two large wings with blue-green undersides sprout from its back, and a horn-like appendage juts out from the third joint of each wing. A single wing-finger is visible through the center of each wing membrane. Its arms are short and skinny compared to its robust belly, and each limb has three white claws. It has stocky legs with cream-colored soles on each of its plantigrade feet. The tip of its long, tapering tail burns with a sizable flame.

"That's Fuegoleon Vermillion, captain of the Crimson Lion Kings." Kiawe said with a noticeable smile on his face. "He's an expert when it comes to flame magic and his Pokemon Charizard is the perfect partner for him. He's a man of honor and won't stop until he helps everyone."

"Wow, you sure know a lot about him." Asta said in an impressed tone before he aimed his magic mirror at Charizard.

_[Charizard, the Flame Pokemon. It is said that Charizard's fire burns hotter if it has experienced harsh battles. The perfect Pokemon to take when you're on a camping trip!] _Asta's mirror commented.

"That's cause Kiawe's a fan boy." Mallow said in a teasing tone while nudging her friend, who glared at her.

"(She's not wrong)." Turtonator said bluntly, getting chuckles from his fellow Pokemon.

The third captain to sit down was a tall, lean man with gold eyes and loose, medium-length black hair. On the left side of his face, he has a thin, red scar (or birthmark) running from his forehead down to his chin, passing over his left eye and ends at the left side of his mouth. He possesses very sharp facial features, such as sharp eyes and a slit-like mouth. He wore a light green shirt that only covers the upper half of his torso, leaving his abs uncovered. He wears form-fitting black pants, with green portions (the same green color as his shirt) that cover from the halfway point of his shin up to the halfway point of his thigh on both legs. He wears shoes with the same green color as his shirt. He wears two small wristbands on each wrist, and two straps on his waist that cross together to form an X on his front, which carries the pouch that his grimoire is in. He wears a green robe on top of everything, which has four long leather strands that drape down.

Next to this captain was a bipedal Pokémon with a dark yellow-green covering on its back and most of the front. It has black skin covering its torso, tail tip, and thighs, as well as red talons and claws. Its large tusks, which resemble scythes, are black and edged in red, and are located on its upper jaw on the side of its mouth. These tusks, which can cut steel beams, are unbreakable. Its medium-sized eyes are red with black pupils. Ridged plate-like skin travels from its back to its head region. It has solid armor and the legs and tail have a dividing line pattern. Its arms are quite small, with three digits with two elliptical triceps and biceps and circular elbows. Its hands are small and circular with small red claws. Its legs are formidable and strong with three toed feet with a red talon on each toe.

"That is Jack the Ripper, captain of the Green Praying Mantises. Next to him is his partner, Haxorus." Sekke told everyone.

"Praying Mantis… what's that again?" Asta couldn't help but ask.

"Remember that Scyther you tried to fight alone when we were kids?" Yuno asked, getting looks from Kiawe and Mallow while Asta punched his hand.

"Oh yeah! Kinda like that, right?" Asta asked, getting a nod from Yuno.

"(What happened with the Scyther)?" Cutiefly asked Rowlet, who sweatdropped while shaking his head.

"(You don't want to know)." Rowlet said as Yuno took out his magic mirror.

_[H-Haxorus, the axe jaw Pokemon. __They are kind, but can be relentless when defending territory. They challenge foes with tusks that can cut steel. JUST LOOKING AT IT MAKES ME SHIVER IN FEAR! I THINK MY GLASS IS GONNA CRACK!] _Yuno's mirror said in terror.

"Captain Jack can cut anything in two with his Severing magic. Combine that with Haxorus' brute strength and you have a two person army. I heard Captain's Jack and Yami fought each other and it cost an entire mountain." Sekke said before he chuckled. "But who would ever be a disgusting bug?" This comment caused Cutiefly to glare at him with a tick mark on her head. It was only thanks to Rowlet's grip that she did not go and poke a few holes into Sekke's head.

The fourth captain to arrive was a tall woman with blue eyes and long blonde hair that is braided. She usually keeps her hair tied back into a bun, with only a single lone braid hanging down on the left side of her face. Her attire is a set of armor. She wears a fancy decorated helmet that has a single fin protruding from the top, resembling a shark fin. For her top, she wears a black one piece undershirt, which extends out to her hands and act as sleeveless gloves. On top of that, she wears a decorated armored breastplate, an armored collar plate, as well as gauntlets on her arms. For her bottom, she wears a short blue skirt, which is visible underneath a longer leather-like skirt that is open on the front. Her white trousers are tucked into her thigh-high black socks, which have leather cuffs at the ends. She wears shin armor as well as armored boots. Her grimoire is stored inside a brown leather pouch that is attached to a strap on her waist on her right side. She finishes off her look with a long, flowing blue cape that reaches down to her ankles, along with the blue robe, secured at the center of her chest with a buckle that shows their squad's insignia.

Next to her was a bipedal Pokémon with an appearance that incorporates features of roses and masquerade attire. It has hair made of white rose petals, and a leafy, green cape with a yellow, collar-like bangle on its neck. The cape pattern reaches toward the back of its head, in spiky, sepal-like extensions on the hair. It has a dark-green mask over its red, yellow-lidded eyes. The lower portion of its face is light green, and it holds a bouquet in each hand. It has a red in its right hand and blue in its left. Its limbs and underside are light green. Its feet end with yellow tips.

"And that's Miss Charlotte Roselei, captain of the Blue Rose Knights. She's so beautiful." Sekke said with a dreamy sigh.

"Ehh, she's got nothing on Sister Lily." Asta said bluntly, getting a facepalm from Scorbunny and Rowlet. It would seem that no matter how far they were from Hage, Asta was still thinking about Sister Lily. It was admirable, but also annoying.

"Wow, she's even got a Roserade! They're so gorgeous!" Mallow exclaimed with stars in her eyes as Asta scanned the new Pokemon.

_[Roserade, the bouquet Pokemon. Luring prey with a sweet scent, it uses poison whips on its arms to poison, bind, and finish off the prey. Make sure you don't piss this rose off or else you'll get the THORNS. Right?] _Asta's mirror joked HORRIBLY.

The fifth and possibly the biggest captain in terms of body size was a fat man with blonde hair and black eyes. He wore what seemed to be rather costly clothes, with a purple robe to go on top of it, a purple mask with golden buttons on it and his teeth were permanently shown.

Next to him was a bipedal, reptilian Pokémon that is usually green. On either side of its head are yellow frills, which are connected by lines to its yellow lips and rings around its eyes. There are small ridges on its shoulders and a red zigzag stripe around its midsection. The hands and feet have three short digits each, and it has yellow soles. It also has a long skinny tail that is usually curled tightly in a spiral.

"Gueldre Poizot, captain of the Purple Orcas. His partner is Kecleon." Sekke said with a bored tone.

"Huh, that's it?" Asta asked with a raised brow.

"He's also the least liked captain of everyone here." Kiawe said with heavy disdain in his voice. Turtonator nodded as well, sporting a deep frown. Something told the others that Kiawe had something personal against the Purple Orcas captain, but out of respect, they said nothing. Yuno took out his mirror to scan Gueldre's Pokemon.

_[Kecleon, the c-color swap Pokemon. It changes its shading to match its surroundings so it can sneak up on prey. Only its belly patterns stay fixed. Do you see its eyes?! IT HAS NO SOUL!] _

The sixth captain and the only other female was a young looking, lilac-haired fair-skinned woman of slightly below average height. She wore a pointed hat with a wide brim and a garland of natural flowers wrapped around the cone's base. Her outer cloak is clasped by a flower-shaped brooch. The cloak layers so that her insignia is on the cloak of her cape. Beneath her cloak, she wears a light-colored shirt with puffy sleeves that end just past her elbows, light-colored puffy short pants, and a dark-colored vest that has light-colored fur draping down over her hips. Her shoes are pointed and colored in contrast with a deeper shade of her squad's color.

Floating next to her was a rounded, bipedal Pokémon that has a tapir-like trunk. Its body is light purple, while its head is a pale pink. It has oval, red eyes with three eyelashes and dark pink ovals on its forehead and cheeks. The tips of its four stubby limbs are dark pink. Seeping from the Pokemon's head was a pink mist.

But what surprised everyone was the fact that both this captain and her Pokemon were COMPLETELY asleep.

"Wow, that's Dorothy Unsworth! She's captain of the Coral Peacocks. And her Musharna is so cute!" Mallow squealed while looking at said Pokemon.

"Hang on, is she asleep?" Asta questioned in astonishment.

"She only sleeps." Sekke said with a mild shrug.

"(How is she even a captain if she's asleep)?" Scorbunny asked while scratching his head in confusion.

"(Her magic must be strong or invisible to us. Either way, I wouldn't want to fight her)." Turtonator said with a nod. Asta took out his magic mirror yet again to scan Musharna.

_[Musharna, the drowsing Pokemon. It drowses and dreams all the time. It's best to leave it be if it's just woken up, as it's a terrible grump when freshly roused from sleep. So don't try shaking it awake if you want to live.]_

The seventh captain to sit down was a young man with spiky, aqua-colored hair in a messy mound atop his head and pink eyes. He wore a light-colored shirt under a dark blue vest that is held closed by a bronze-colored belt. His dark blue pants end halfway down his shins, and his shoes are bronze-colored slippers. Over this, he wears a long, white open coat with two pairs of large, turquoise diamonds on the front and on the sleeves. His squad robe has a dark blue tassel of diamonds hanging from the front clasp.

Next to him was a bipedal, beagle-like Pokémon with white and brown fur. It has a long tail with an end resembling a paintbrush. This paintbrush oozes with paint. It has a footprint on its back that is the same color as the tip of the tail. It also has a round structure on its head with a point that resembles a beret. It has floppy, brown ears and a brown collar on its neck. The rings encircling Smeargle's eyes are also brown, as are its eyelids. Its arms have two brown bands, and its legs have only one. Each of its limbs have three digits.

"Over there is Rill Boismortier, captain of the Aqua Deer. His partner is Smeargle." Sekke informed them.

"Wow, how old is he?" Asta asked out of curiosity as Rill and Smeargle waved at the examinees with smiles on their faces.

"He's actually nineteen, the youngest captain in all the Magic Knight squads." Kiawe said before he raised a brow. "Although, he's acting more like a kid than a captain." Yuno aimed his magic mirror at Rill's partner, who was painting something behind Rill's chair.

_[Smeargle, the painter Pokemon. A special fluid oozes from the tip of its tail. It paints the fluid everywhere to mark its territory. I wonder how many times it has to clean its tail. So unsanitary!]_

"All those other captains are popular in their own right…" Sekke started before the crowd started cheering louder than before. "But if you take a look up, then you'll see the front runner." Two sets of footsteps echoed loudly as two more figures appeared with the other magic knight captains.

The first was a man with an average height and a lean build. He has purple eyes and short white hair. He wears a helmet that also functions as a mask that obscures the upper half of his face. The mask is very elaborate, and is made up of a large gold piece covering the area around his right eye, and a smaller blue piece covering the area around his left eye. The helmet has white and red patches of fur on the back edge, and two white feathers that stick up on the left side. The right eye hole has a red border outline, with two lines sticking out on both the top and bottom halves, while the left eye hole has the same design, except white-colored with slightly longer lines. He also wore a double-breasted and long-sleeved shirt with a high collar. The shirt itself consists of two different colors, as it is white at the sides and blue in the center. Gold trimmings and buttons can be seen on the blue portion of the front of the shirt. The sleeves are mostly made of white fabric, except for the wrist area where they are made of a yellowish fabric. The shirt extends below his waist and he wears a dark belt on top of it. He also wears white pants and a pair of high black boots. On top of his clothing, the man wore his squad's signature robe, which covers his torso and is gold in color. It has a blue-colored fur around the border of the hood and a pair of red ropes, which come from the left shoulder and connect to the gold-colored button on the right shoulder. Furthermore, at the left-hand side is positioned the squad's insignia. Underneath his robe, he wears a long red cloak that reaches his ankles.

Next to the man was a bipedal, mammalian Pokémon with some plant-like features. There is fluffy white fur on its belly and fringing its face like a beard. It has a small, pink nose with a three-pointed patch of brown fur extending up its short snout, and four pointed teeth. On top of its head is a plate of beige armor, similar to a helmet. It possesses a prominent domed, armor-like shell similar to that of a chestnut. The armor is beige with four large spines jutting out of the back. The armor is trimmed with red and green bands; the green is on the outermost edge. There is an additional spine protruding from the armor over each of its shoulders, which are connected by a green breastplate. Its body is colored similarly to the shell, and its long limbs and tail are banded with plates of armor. The top surfaces of the tail and arms are protected by green armor, and each arm has two small spines. It has three brown, clawed digits on its hands and feet.

"That is William Vangeance, captain of the Golden Dawn. He's said to be the captain of the mightest magic knight squad. Next to him is his partner, Chesnaught." Sekke said as Asta, Yuno, Kiawe and Mallow all gulped a bit at the aura surrounding Vangeance. "He has his squad members' complete trust. I heard that it was Captain Vangeance and Chesnaught who took out the enemy a while ago."

"(Wow, just looking at Chesnaught makes me feel so small)." Rowlet admitted before he grew a determined expression. If he was going to help Yuno become the Wizard King, then he would need to evolve all the way, just like Chesnaught. Asta unconsciously took out his mirror one last time to learn about the captain of the Golden Dawn's partner.

_[Chesnaught, the spiny armor Pokemon. When it takes a defensive posture with its fists guarding its face, it could withstand a bomb blast. Okay, I think that's all the analysis I can do for this chapter. Goodnight!]_

"Everyone will be aiming for the Golden Dawn or the Silver Eagles." Kiawe said as he heard the comments from the other examinees.

"Too bad it might not happen." Sekke said simply, much to Asta's confusion.

"Why not? The test hasn't even started yet." Asta asked with a raised brow.

"Well, the thing about squads like the Golden Dawn and Silver Eagles is that they're looking for people who are royalty or at least part of a Noble family." Mallow informed in a knowing tone before she smiled and looked at Charlotte Roselei. "To be honest, I'd rather be in the Blue Rose Knights just to see captain Charloette and her magic."

"The Crimson Lion Kings are who I'm going for." Kiawe said before he looked at captain Fuegoleon, who seemed to notice his stare before smiling. _'Just you watch, Captain. I'll show you how much I've grown.'_

It was at this moment Yami, Finral, Gordon and some other magic knights arrived with the other captains, with the former yawning out of boredom.

"(This is so intense. But where is Rookidee)?!" Scorbunny asked as he climbed all the way to Asta's head, standing on it in order to find the flying type.

'_Elsewhere'_

"(WAIT! PLEASE COME BACK)!" Rookidee cried out as he flew as fast as he could, trying to catch up to the anti magic bird. They had flown far away from where the exam would take place, yet Rookidee didn't seem to notice. "(What about this? You're as beautiful as a Beautifly in the summer! Is that enough for you)?!"

The anti magic bird tried to fly under several signs in hopes of losing Rookidee, yet despite his small size, he kept going. "(What about 'your aroma is as sweet as an Armoatisse?' No, that doesn't work. WAIT FOR ME)!"

All the way, he didn't realize the exam was starting.

'_Back with the others'_

"Attention, examinees!" William Vangeance called out, getting everyone's attention. "I thank you for coming here today and for waiting. I will be adminsterating this year's entrance exam." With that, he took out his yellow Grimoire, flipping through several pages before he found the spell he was looking for. "Magic Tree's Descent."

Suddenly, William's Grimoire began to glow a bright green light, causing the clouds above to darkened and block out the sun. Every one of the examinee's gasped as a powerful gust of wind shot past them, forcing some of their Pokemon to hold onto their human partners. Then, several glowing roots began to fall from the clouds, descending towards them.

"(Always the show off, aren't you William)?" Chesnaught said in a knowing tone as the branches suddenly began turning into brooms, each one being given to each examinee. Once they were given their brooms, William closed his Grimoire, a smile on his face.

"Now then… let us begin the entrance exam."

**And this is the part where you guys start to hate me for stopping at such a critical point in the story. But I am a bastard when it comes to making you guys want more.**

**But in all seriousness, I think this is a good place to stop, especially since there will be some changes in terms of who will face who during the exam. I hope you guys like the fact that I brought in Mallow and Kiawe from the Sun and Moon series. They were two of my favorite characters besides best girl Lillie and professor Kukui, so it felt right to add them to the story. And don't worry, they won't be the last Pokemon characters to appear in this story.**

**I hope all of you are still staying safe, wheat with COVID 19 and the riots. We need to end police brutality, though I doubt we can do that now. But regardless, I hope you guys are okay where you are.**

**Follow, Fav, Review and Pm for anything. I will still take Pokemon requests.**

**Next time: Fight for your place!**


	4. Chapter 4: Fight for your place!

**Damn, 2020 sure loves to take the title of worst year ever, doesn't it? I mean it's like that kid in school who already has a good enough grade, yet they're trying to be an overachiever. I hope everyone is staying safe cause we're still in for one hell of a ride.**

**But let's not dwell on that. ONTO THE REVEIWS!**

**Shadow Joestar: Yup. It's gonna be good.**

**Rider126: I can see him with Dratini, but the same can be said for Yuno.**

**Shadowwolf1997: Haha, okay pal. **

**MaMcMu: We'll learn of how Asta and Yuno met their partners.**

**Girlfish: That's a good idea, and we'll learn more about Kiawe.**

**BanRedfox: Glad you enjoyed the story. But trust me, we'll see a lot more epic moments for the story to come.**

**JCarrasco: Thanks pal.**

**Rebellion Rose: Hopefully I can go past your expectations. **

**GracefulArt: Man, that is a good idea for Noelle.**

**To recap the last chapter: Asta, Yuno and their Pokemon finally arrived at the Capital of Clover Kingdom in order to participate in the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. On their way to the coliseum, the group met a chipper girl named Mallow and her partner Bounsweet, as well as a calm boy named Kiawe and his blazing Pokemon Turtanator. With introductions out of the way, the group entered their names and were soon greeted to the sight of the Magic Knight Captain, each possessing their own unique personalities and Pokemon. Willian Vangeance of the Golden Dawn then gave a speech for the examinees and the exams began.**

**How will Asta and Yuno's bonds with their Pokemon be tested? Let's find out…**

"Now then… let us begin the entrance exam."

The voice of William Vangeance rang through the ears of all the examinees as they all began to look at one another. If what he said is true, then they must be ready for the tests.

"But allow me to explain a few rules for these tests." Vangeance said with a calm voice. "The nine Squad Captains will be serving as your judges. When the exam is complete, we will choose the individuals we want on our squads. If chosen, you are in. If more than one squad chooses you, you will decide which you would like to join. However…" There was a hint of seriousness in his eyes as he continued. "If you are not selected by any squad, that means you have been deemed unqualified to join the Magic Knights. In addition, your Pokemon will also be tested, in both strength, endurance and most importantly, your bond. Those with strong bonds with their partners may be able to pass. However, those who lack such strength should not expect to join the Magic Knights."

'_That won't happen.' _Asta thought with a determined expression. Sure, he didn't have any magic power. But he had his Grimoire and two strong Pokemon with him… well, one anyways. He still had no idea where Rookidee was.

'_With Rookidee'_

The Anti Magic bird that Rookidee had been chasing landed on a nearby bell tower, finally able to relax after what seemed like hours of flying. It knew that Rookidee wanted to mate, but it had a mission and there was no way love with a Pokemon was going to get in the way.

"(My love! Please come back)!" Rookidee cried out as he flew left and right, trying to find any sign of his beloved. "(I promise to get you all the Oran Berries I can find! If you want, I can even find Sitrus berries! Just give me a chance)!"

"Mommy, why does that Pokemon look sad?" A little girl asked her mother as they walked under Rookidee, who had comedic tears running down his eyes.

"I'm not sure, sweetie. Maybe it got lost from its friends." The mother suggested before they walked away.

However, their words struck a chord in Rookidee's mind as he widened his eyes.

"(Oh no! I forgot about the exam! Asta and Scorbunny might need me)!" Rookidee exclaimed before he flew as fast as he could back to the colosseum.

The Anti Magic bird was glad Rookidee FINALLY realized where he needed to be.

'_Back with the exam'_

"Now then, onto the first test." Vangeance said with a smile. "You must use the brooms given to you to fly." His words caused some concern to some of the examinees.

"That's a problem. The only thing I've used a broom for is to clean." Mallow said with an unsure tone as she looked at said object in her hands.

"It is the most common tool a Magic Knight uses for transport." Sekke said while waving his hair arrogantly.

"A mage who is in control of his or her magic power can do it on instinct alone." Vangeance explained, a member of the Golden Dawn flying behind him to emphasize his point. "It is our most basic way of getting from one place to the other. If you can't fly on a broom, then you're wasting our time."

"(He really doesn't hold back)." Cutiefly muttered with a sweatdrop.

"Enough talk." Vangeance extended his arm. "Let the first test begin!"

And with that, the examinees began the first test. Some began struggling to use their magic on the broom. There were a few that were beginning to hover a little while others used too much magic, which caused them to fall.

Kiawe gripped the broom in his hands before taking a deep breath. _'Just stay calm and let the magic flow in.' _Slowly, the dark skinned teen began to fly up in the air, allowing him to open his eyes before smirking. "I got this."

"(I wish I could fly)." Turtonator said with a disappointed sigh. He saw how Rowelt and Cutiefly were flying around Yuno and it made him feel jealous to have such a heavy body. He pictured getting on the broom with Kiawe… only for it to snap in two. "(Yeah… maybe it's a good idea NOT to do that)."

Mallow gritted her teeth as she began to float up in the air. She mildly slipped up and hung upside down, accidentally causing Bounsweet to fall out of her pack. Luckily, Mallow caught her before the two got in a more comfortable position.

"It seems we have a number of promising examinees this year." Charlotte Roselei of the Blue Rose Knights said to her partner Roserade, who smiled calmly.

"(Yes. Each of them give off a scent of potential. I look forward to seeing them bloom)." Roserade spoke in an elegant tone.

"EEEEEEE, COME ON!" Unfortunately(and not surprising to anyone), Asta was the only one not flying. In fact, he looked like he was riding the broom like a cowboy, his face contorting to that of someone struggling in the bathroom. Of course, given how he had no magic, it was understandable why he couldn't do anything. "I… CAN…. DO THIS!"

"(Don't worry, Asta)." Scorbunny said while cracking his neck before a confident grin appeared on his face. "(I got your back)!" If Asta couldn't fly on his own, then the fire rabbit Pokemon was gonna give him a helping hand. Taking several steps back, Scorbunny began to charge at Asta at full speed, catching everyone's attention. "(DOUBLE KICK)!" When he was close enough, Scorbunny hopped forward…

And prompting kicked Asta hard in the rear. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Asta let out a rather high pitched scream, his body actually jolting up to give the illusion of him flying.

"Holy crap, is he actually-"

*THUD*

Just as Asta was three feet in the air… he fell on his face, whimpering in pain. "Nope, he was just jumping." Some of the examinees began laughing at Asta's poor attempt at flying while the Magic Knight Captains all looked in confusion.

"Strange. Even if he didn't have any significant talent, he should still be able to float." Fuegoleon Vermillion asked while rubbing his chin.

"(Sir Nozel)." Skarmory said while nudging the captain of the Silver Eagles. Getting his partner's attention, Skarmory gestured to the right. "(She's at it again)."

"Pardon me for a moment." Nozel spoke up as he stood up and walked away, with Skarmory following suit.

"(And his partner didn't do a good enough job lighting a fire in his ass)." Charizard growled in annoyance. If it were him, he would've unleashed a Flamethrower. That was how it worked before with Fuegoleon.

"Why?" Asta asked his partner, still feeling the pain of the kick.

"(You know… now I see why that would never have worked)." Scorbunny confessed while rubbing the back of his head.

"(Really? NOW you see that)?" Rowlet questioned with a blank expression at his rival. Nozel Silva watched Asta's humiliating display with a disappointing frown.

"Don't tense up. Just let your muscles relax." Sekke instructed while floating up. "It's actually quite simple."

"Is it? Okay, let me try." Asta said while trying to concentrate, only for nothing to happen. "Nope, still nothing." Scorbunny let out a sigh of disappointment, feeling bad for not helping Asta with the first test. But there were more to come, so he might be able to-

"What are you two doing?" His ears suddenly picked up the sound of captain Nozel's voice from behind, prompting him to turn. For some reason, the captain of the Silver Eagles and his Pokemon were talking to someone in the shadows. Though his eyesight wasn't the best, Scorbunny could vaguely see a human with pigtails and a smaller Pokemon next to them.

"I just… I was…" The person in the shadows had a female voice and they sounded nervous.

"(She really wanted to participate. And I thought it would be a good idea)." The female's Pokemon said while flailing his arms.

"Don't play dumb with me." Nozel cut them off in a serious tone. "I told you royalty need no go through the same tests as common folk." The girl tried speaking again, but Nozel stopped her. "Where you'll go has already been decided. Stop this pointless nonsense."

"(As for you, we expected better. If you truly care about lady Noelle, you won't let her do things she doesn't need to)." Skarmory said to the smaller Pokemon with a disappointed tone.

"Yes… of course, Nozel." The girl finally relented with a tone of sadness.

"Although, if we're being honest…" Nozel began to walk away from the girl. "Your very existence is pointless."

"(WHAT)?!" Scorbunny cried out in pure shock before he clenched his paws in anger. How could anyone say that to someone without even considering how they felt? It was like telling someone not to bother living! Scorbunny noticed the girl looking down in shame while her Pokemon shook in anger and prepared to charge at Nozel…

"(I know how you feel, but don't take it to heart)." Skarmory told the smaller Pokemon in a surprisingly sympathetic tone. "(Sir Nozel… has conflicted feelings. Just promise to continue watching lady Noelle)." With that, the Steel/Flying Pokemon went to his human.

Scorbunny felt glad to see Nozel's Pokemon wasn't as much of a prick as him. But still, if Scorbunny ever saw Nozel outside of the colosseum, he was gonna give him a piece of his mind!

_Test Two: Magic Power Test_

Asta thrusted his hands forward, aiming at a small brick wall in front of him. However, he wasn't able to use so much as a spark.

"Ba-ha!" Sekke fired a magic blast into his wall, leaving a sizable hole. "See, it isn't so bad."

*BOOM*

A much larger explosion erupted behind Sekke, causing some rubble to hit him on the head, knocking him out cold.

"(Great work, Kiawe)." Turtonator complimented his human partner, who lowered his hand while letting out a calm break.

"Did you see that?"

"He annihilated that wall like it was nothing!"

"That's some power." The other examinees began muttering to themselves in regards to Kiawe's power.

"Always a showoff, aren't you?" Mallow teased Kiawe while playfully punching his arm, to which he looked away. However, he did look over to captain Fuegoleon, who smiled proudly.

'_I still need to show more power if I'm ever going to join the Crimson Lion Kings.' _Kiawe thought with a determined glare.

_Test three: Pokemon targeting_

"Ready, Bounsweet?" Mallow asked her partner, who stood in front of her with a blindfold over her eyes. Severa; Magic Knights then released multiple floating orbs, which began to move around at random. "Okay, Magical Leaf on the right!"

"(Okay)!" Bounsweet spin the leaves on her head before unleashing a small storm of glowing green leaves. They flew up and cut apart one of the orbs with ease.

"Scorbunny, Ember up above!" Asta shouted with a fist raised high.

"(On it)!" Taking a deep breath, Scorbunny unleashed a rather impressive Ember in the air, destroying three orbs in a row.

"That's not bad." Sekke admitted before he took out his Pokeball with a glint in his eyes. "But allow me to show you a true star! Carnivine!" He threw it in the air before it opened up, releasing a beam of energy on the ground.

However, whatever the others were expecting was NOT what Sekke had.

"(HELLO MASTER)!" The Pokemon gleefully shouted while striking a pose. Once the light, everyone was able to fully see the new Pokemon.

It was a green Pokémon resembling a Venus flytrap. Its circular eyes have small pupils, and it has spiky teeth. Its stem is yellow with green spots, with red and green vines beneath with the appearance of tentacles. It can hang from tree branches using these vines, and it is said to look like a plant. It has two arms resembling leaves with three leafy 'fingers' each.

*CHOMP*

But if its looks weren't shocking enough… it soon opened its mouth and began chomping on Sekke with its large mouth. "Hey! I told you not to do that here! It's an important da-hay!" Sekke shouted from inside his Pokemon's mouth, only for it to laugh gleefully while hugging Sekke.

"... Do we even want to know what that is?" Yuno asked with a blunt tone before he took out his magic mirror.

"_C-Carnivine, the b-bug catching Pokemon It attracts prey with its sweet-smelling saliva, then chomps down. It takes a whole day to eat prey. LOOK AT ITS MOUTH! IT CAN EAT AN ENTIRE FAMILY OF P-POKEMON!" _Yuno's mirror shrieked in fear.

"Keke, what a foolish Pokemon. If he can't control his Pokemon, then he's a waste." Jack the Ripper commented, though he smirked at how funny the scene below was.

"(Make sure to eat him up! Don't leave anything left)!" Haxorus shouted, getting sweatdrops from the other Pokemon. "(What? If he's eating his human, he might as well make sure to eat everything. Nothing should be wasted)."

'_(Why did he need to be brought here)?' _All the Captains' Pokemon thought in unison.

_Test four: Magic Creation test_

Many of the examinees began to create an assortment of models with their magic, showcasing their magic proficiency. Some made simple animals like wolves and bears while others went with more creative choices like their Pokemon partners.

And yet again… Asta was unable to do anything.

"Oh man, nothing's happening!" Asta shouted in frustration while Scorbunny just sighed.

"Asta, check it out!" Mallow called out while showing Asta her mini sculpture of Bounsweet, with said Pokemon bouncing in joy. "Isn't it cute?"

"(Wow, so Mallow uses plant magic)?" Scorbunny asked Bounsweet, who nodded eagerly.

"(Yup! You wouldn't believe all the plants she grew back home. Mallow's the best when it comes to gardening and cooking)!" Bounsweet exclaimed in a chipper tone.

*Woosh*

Of course, the star of the test was Yuno, who created two wind constructs: one of Rowlet and the other of Cutiefly. Each in one hand. Many of the examinees gasped in awe at Yuno's creation while Asta slumped down in depression.

"(What did I miss)?" Rookidee spoke up while landing on Asta's head, FINALLY coming back from his little 'trip.'

"Oh… hey Rookidee." Asta sighed before perking up. "Hang on. You can help me on the next test, Rookidee!"

"(... eh)?"

_Test five: Pokemon endurance_

Rookidee and Cutiefly flew as fast as their little wings could as they ran in a pure circle, trying to show off their speed. However, it soon proved a bit difficult due to some of the other Pokemon, yet that didn't stop them from trying.

"(Got… keep… going)..." Rookidee trailed off as he saw a Noctowl fly past him.

"(Need… to win… for Yuno)!" Cutiefly cried out as she slowly increased her speed. Seeing this, Rookidee picked up the pace and the two ended the race in a tie, though they were far from the fastest Pokemon there.

"Alright! You guys did awesome!" Asta cheered as Rookidee and Cutiefly returned to him and Yuno.

"Good work." Yuno complemented while rubbing Cutiefly's head with his finger, much to her joy.

"(Still, it's too bad a lot of other Pokemon beat you)." Scorbunny said with a shake of his head before he sweatdropped at the last Pokemon...

Who happened to be Turtonator.

"(I can… I can… keep… running… am I home)?" Turtonator wheezed out before he collapsed with Xs in his eyes while Kiawe patted him on the head for a job well done.

He was a big Pokemon. What can you expect?

'_Some time later'_

"Onto the last and most difficult test of them all. The Combat Test." Vangeance spoke up to the examinees, who all widened their eyes in surprise.

"Prepare to duel!" Fuegoleon shouted with a voice full of pride while standing up from his seat. "Each of you will choose your opponent and you will fight with both your Grimoire and Pokemon!"

"(But if none of you maggots give it your all, I'll turn you all into ash! Am I clear)?!" Charlizard followed up before unleashing a powerful Flamethrower in the air, narrowly missing several Anti Magic birds.

"As knights, battling is our business. We want to see everything you and your partner have." Fuegoleon added with a clenched fist.

"The battle is decided when one side is unable to continue or surrenders." Vangeance added in a more calm voice. "We have mages with recovery magic standing by for the injured. Don't hold anything back or you will lose." Many of the examinees swallowed hard at the thought of failing. If the combat test was the most important test, then regardless of how you scored on the other ones, you WILL lower your chances at a spot in the Magic Knights by losing.

'_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! I need to find someone to fight!' _Asta thought while looking around with a panicked expression. _'I can always fight Mallow… but that wouldn't be fair. Plus, I don't wanna hurt her or Bounsweet. Kiawe and Turonator look strong, so maybe I can fight them. Then there's Yuno, but I wanna fight him later on when me and the others are strong enough. So that leaves-'_

Asta was brought out of his thoughts by the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. "What do you say you and I pair up?" Sekke asked Asta while showing a thumbs up. Almost immediately, Asta bowed his head at Sekke.

"You really mean it, Sekke? You'd fight me and my Pokemon just so we aren't alone?" Asta questioned, getting a smirk from Sekke.

"Oh absolutely." Sekke said with his hands on his hips.

"You really are a nice guy!" Asta cried out. However, unlike Asta, his Pokemon were a little more than wary of Sekke's generosity.

And they weren't the only ones as Yuno and Kiawe narrowed their eyes at the Broze magic user.

"Alright, will the first combatants please step forward." A magic knight referee called out to anyone who has paired up.

"We're coming!" Asta called out before a thought occurred as he ran to his friends. "Hey, can you guys watch Rookidee while me and Scorbunny fight? It's not fair if we fight three on two."

"Sure, but do you really want Sekke to fight you?" Mallow questioned with a concerned frown, much to Asta's confusion.

"Yeah, why?" Asta asked with a confused expression.

"Because he doesn't look like the type to do something without anything in return." Kiawe chimed in with a serious tone. "Just watch your back."

"(Plus, I don't like the looks on his Pokemon)." Turtonator spoke up as he saw Carnivine's grin. Unlike his usual smile, Carnvine actually looked more… menacing. But one look from Sekke changed that quickly.

"(Don't lose)." Rookidee told Scorbunny while flying down to his level, also suspicious of Sekke's motives.

"(You don't need to tell me. We've got this)." Scorbunny told his partner Pokemon before the two did a high five and Rookidee flew into Turtonator's shoulder.

Soon, Asta, Sekke and their Pokemon stood in the middle of the colosseum. The rest of the examinees all moved away to give them room to fight while the Magic Knight Captains watched down with a critical eye.

"Let's both give it everything we've got, Sekke!" Asta told his opponent with a big grin. It was nice to finally get a chance to show off what he can actually do instead of having Scorbunny and Rookidee pulling his weight.

Sekke, however, placed a hand on Asta's shoulder while sporting a surprisingly dark smile.

"You don't have to try so hard anymore. It's getting so painful to watch." Sekke said, shocking Asta and Scorbunny. "You're just a grubby little gutter rat who's way out of his league. But still, I should thank you for sticking around and making me look good." He then looked down at Scorbunny, who glared at him. "Your Pokemon are decent at best, but do you really think they have what it takes to be in the Magic Knights? Honestly, they're better as house pets than anything."

"(And once we crush both of you, Sekke and I will join a Magic Knight Squad and have fun. And no one will even care about either of you)." Carvnivine laughed with a dark aura around him, staring down at Scorbunny like a predator to their prey.

"Let's get this over with so you can go scurry off to whatever garbage you came from." Sekke laughed as he and Carnivine walked a few feet away, leaving Asta stunned.

"How could he?!" Mallow shouted with an angry tone. She was never one to show a lot of anger, but what Sekke said was behind horrible. "Don't hold back you guys!"

"(Kick their butts Asta and Scorbunny)!" Bounsweet cheered out with surprising energy.

"I knew it. Sekke was using Asta." Kiawe muttered with a disappointed tone. If Sekke were to win and join a squad, he would do anything BUT fulfill the role of a magic knight. Looking over to Yuno, Kiawe was surprised to see him looking rather calm. "Aren't you worried about Asta?"

"Not at all." Yuno answered with the smallest hint of confidence in his voice.

"(They'll win)." Rowlet added with a look of interest.

"Now!" The referee raised his right hand before chopping it down. "Begin!"

"No pulling punches!" Sekke declared as his Grimoire, which glowed a bright blue aura, appeared in front of him, with the pages flipping. Suddenly, a glowing blue barrier appeared around Sekke, with several barrels popping out. "Broze Creation Magic: Sekke Magnum Cannonball!" Sekke glanced at the Captains, wondering how impressed they are at his creation.

"That is a pretty advanced spell for an examinee." Finral spoke out loud curiously.

"(I agree. Though… a spell named after himself is rather arrogant)." Kadabra added with a sigh.

"He looks more like an insect with the way he looks." Yami said uncaringly, thinking about how Sekke reminded him of Jack in a way. He then looked over to Asta and Scorbunny, who both looked frozen. _'What'll you do, kid?'_

"Well, Asta? I'm waiting. Come and show everyone what you've got!" Sekke called out before waving his arms. "Or better yet, why don't I attack! Carnivine, Leaf Blade!"

"(Careful or you'll get cut to pieces)!" Carnivine called out as his arms began glowing light green, turning into a pair of blades. With a giddy laugh, Carnivine rushed Asta and Scorbunny, ready to take them down.

"Scorbunny… let's do this." Asta muttered to his partner as his Grimoire before floating in front of him. "Use Flame Charge after I move in."

"(Got it)." Scorbunny replied back with a determined tone.

This is it.

Asta grabbed the handle of his greatsword and with a mighty push of his feet, he rushed past Carnivine faster than the grass Pokemon could see. "(What)?!" Sekke barely had time to blink as he saw Asta appeared right in front of his shield.

*SLAM*

… And soon, the broadsword cut through the barrier and slammed hard into Sekke's body, slamming him so hard on the ground, it created spider web-like cracks in it.

"(No! Sek)-"

"(DON'T LOOK AWAY)!" Carnivine was suddenly struck in the back of his head by Scorbunny, who had the fire of Flame Charge surrounding him. Not giving his jerk of an opponent a chance, Scorbunny ran at amazing speed, striking Carnivine three more times before jumping in the air and slamming his feet hard on the bug catcher Pokemon, making him slam on the ground hard.

Everyone, even the Magic Knight Captains, had widened their eyes in shock and awe. Not only was the match over, but ASTA and Scorbunny bpth defeated their opponents with ease. They honestly thought Asta would just be dead weight and Scorbunny would have to fight, yet Asta oneshotted Sekke with that strange sword that came from his dirty Grimoire.

"Listen, Sekke." Asta spoke up with a serious tone. "I'm not joining the magic knights so I can slack off and have a little fun." He then pulled his sword on his right shoulder, all without showing any signs of struggling. "You can make fun of me, but never make fun of my Pokemon. Because together, they'll help me become the Wizard King!"

"(That goes the same to you)." Scorbunny said to Carnivine. "(Don't ever make fun of me, Rookidee and especially Asta. Because if you do)." The fire rabbit Pokemon raised his head, a serious glint in his eyes. "(I'll roast you and Sekke to ash)."

Everyone was silent, taking in all of Asta's words. He was going to be the Wizard King? HIM?

"Pfft." Someone let out a small noise from their mouth before the examinees all began to laugh at Asta's ridiculous declaration.

"Seriously? HE'LL be the Wizard King?"

"Talk about delusions of grandeur."

"Just cause he beat one guy, he thinks he's the king of the world! Get real!"

Asta and Scorbunny simply stood there, hearing the mocking words from everyone. It wasn't anything new, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"If I were all of you, I would shut up." Kiawe spoke up loud enough for everyone to turn to him. He leaned against the wall while sporting a disappointed frown. "Is this what magic knights do? Make fun of someone's dream and tell them to leave? It's a disgrace to the name. It doesn't matter how strong any of you are…" His dark eyes then had a small ounce of fire in them. "Because Asta would beat every single one of you with his spirit."

"WHAT?!" Almost everyone gasped at Kiawe's words before they shouted protests. How dare he say something so humiliating to them?! None of them would lose to such a loser like Asta. The dark skinned teen just ignored their words and kept glaring at Sekke.

'_Thanks Kiawe.' _Asta thought with a smile on his face, glad to see at least one friend stand up for him. He then looked down at Sekke with a frown. _'To think I saw him as a friend.' _Several healing mages came to pick up Sekke and Carnivine.

"Based on the other tests, I would never have thought he had that much magic power." Finral said, mildly impressed by Asta's attack.

"Weoll, he didn't use magic at all." Yami spoke up while removing his cigarette from his mouth, surprising Finral. "It's not that he didn't use it, but he doesn't HAVE an ounce of magic at all." He then narrowed his eyes a bit. _'Yet he said he was going to be the Wizard King. We got ourselves a real Psyduck here.'_

"That was amazing, Asta!" Mallow cheered as Asta returned to his small group of friends. "I never knew you had a sword that could cut down shields!"

"Hehe, thanks. But Scorbunny took out Carnivine by himself too." Asta said while kneeling down and patting his Pokemon on the head. "You were great, buddy."

"(Thanks)." Scorbunny brushed off the compliments with a cheeky grin. He then looked over to Rowlet, who gave him a thumbs up.

"(Good job. But I'll do better)." Rowlet challenged, making Scorbunny smirk.

'_Several fights later'_

Since Asta's victory over Sekke, many of the examinees began showing off their strengths in the next fights. Some weren't as fast while others showcased the power of Nobles. Their raw power and the Pokemon they fought with were enough to make most of the examinees shiver in suspense.

"Flower Magic: Mother's Gale!" Mallow shouted as her Grimoire, which had a flowery pattern on it, hovered over her with a light green aura. With a wave of her hands, multiple flowers appeared around her and her opponent before the petals flew around the air.

"H-Hey! What's going on?!" Her opponent questioned as she and her Pelipper looked in confusion. However, instead of an attack, a strong aroma began to enter their noses, causing them to relax. "Wow… it feels… so nice…" Losing all the strength in their legs, the examinee and her Pokemon sat on the ground with sleepy smiles.

"What's going on?" Asta asked in confusion, wondering what kind of spell the green haired girl just used. Scorbunny and Rookidee began sniffing the air before they suddenly began to relax.

"(That feels… really… really…. really)..." Scorbunny trailed off while leaning on Asta's leg.

"(It smells… pleasant… like… fresh berries)..." Rookidee muttered before he fell asleep on Asta's head.

"That's Mallow's Flower Magic." Kiawe answered with a small smirk. "It works differently depending on the flowers she uses. While it isn't much for one on one combat, it works well to take down someone without hurting them."

"Ummm, due to them unable to continue, the winners are Mallow and Bounsweet!" The referee called out with a hand raised up.

"Alright/(yay)!" Mallow and Bounsweet gave each other a high five, satisfied with their victory, especially since they didn't hurt their opponents. Everyone else watched in surprise, though a win was a win. "So, how was that?"

"It was alright." Yuno said cooly while leaning against the wall, not saying another word. Mallow pouted cutely at his lack of a proper congratulations.

"(I never thought you could use magic to win without actually fighting. That was amazing)." Rowlet told Bounsweet, who gave a guilty smile.

"(Yeah, but since I'm not that strong, I couldn't help Mallow)." Bounsweet confessed with a sigh. Given how small she was and how little she actually fought, it filled her with disappointment to not give Mallow some kind of support.

"It looks like the fights are almost done." Asta spoke up, noticing how there were few examinees left to fight. He still wanted to see a good fight, but more than anything, he wanted to see Yuno and Kiawe in action.

"Look at that guy with the four leaf Grimoire. He thinks he's hot stuff."

"I bet one of the nobles could beat him no problem."

"Plus, he's friends with that loser. I doubt he'd last long."

Of course, there were still some examinees that doubted Yuno's abilities. Even with the four leaf Grimoire with him, they still saw him as someone who didn't deserve to be here. It irritated Rowlet and Cutiefly, though Yuno didn't seem phased by it.

As for Kiawe, he looked at everyone who was left and needless to say, he felt disappointed. Not that he thought he was better than any of them, but they didn't seem to have the same fiery drive as him.

"Alright, is the next pair ready for battle? Please, step forward." The referee called out to the remaining examinees.

"Yuno." Kiawe suddenly spoke up, catching the wind magic user's attention. With a look of pure determination, Kiawe said the four words that would shock everyone. "Will you fight me?"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Asta shouted while reeling back in shock, his eyes wide.

"I want to fight someone who's both strong in magic and spirit. And I believe you're the one." Kiawe explained while clenching a fist at Yuno. "Will you accept my challenge?" Yuno stared into his eyes, looking as calmly as possible.

Then… he nodded.

"Okay." Stepping away from the wall he was against, Yuno began to make his way towards the open before a thought occurred. "Cutiefly, go with Asta."

"(Why? I want to stay with you)." Cutiefly objected while rubbing his cheek, not wanting to be left in the sidelines. However, she flinched as Yuno turned to give her a look.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Yuno explained simply, causing the bug/fairy Pokemon to gasp. "Turtonator's too big, so your attacks won't work. Rowlet is more agile and has more combat experience, so that's why He's with me. Go wait with Asta." As much as Cutiefly wanted to object, she knew Yuno had a point.

"(We'll win. I promise)." Rowlet declared with a thumbs up at Cutiefly. With a reluctant sigh, Cutiefly flew next to Asta, landing on his shoulder.

"Hey there." Asta said with a smile, only for Cutiefly to turn her head.

"(You aren't as handsome as Yuno, so I don't want to look at you)." Cutiefly huffed with a pout, making Asta look in confusion while his Pokemon sweatdropped.

"Are you two ready?" The referee asked Yuno and Kiawe, who each stood several feet away with their Pokemon partners next to them.

"I had heard the one with black hair has the four leaf Grimoire. This may be an interesting battle." Vangeance said out loud with a smile.

"Yes, but their opponent also seems to be strong in will." Fuegoleon added. _'Let's see how far you've come, Kiawe.'_

"If both sides are ready, then let the-"

"I'm sorry, but I need to do something." Kiawe interrupted the referee before he began unbuttoning his shirt, much to everyone's confusion. Removing his black shirt, Kiawe then pulled off his white under shirt, showing off his rather muscular chest. Folding the shirts neatly, Kiawe quickly rushed to Mallow and gave them to her.

"Good luck." Mallow told her friend with a smile before he went back to the center.

"Care to explain?" The referee couldn't help but ask.

"I have a habit of burning my shirts." Kiawe answered simply, getting a nod from the referee.

"Then let the battle… BEGIN!" The referee chopped his hand down to signal to start the fight.

Kiawe's eyes widened before he slammed his right palm onto the ground.

*BOOM*

A massive explosion erupted from under the dark skinned teen, launching him forward at high speed. Yuno barely had time to react as he tilted his head, narrowly missing Kiawe's fist from connecting. "Turtonator, Flamethrower!"

"(Take this)!" Taking a deep breath in, Turtonator unleashed a powerful stream of flames from his nose. Waving his hand, Yuno quickly created a wind barrier around him and Rowlet, effectively blocking the fire. However, Kiawe opened a hand towards Yuno's barrier before unleashing a large explosion, cutting through the spell a bit.

"Woah! How did he do that?!" Asta asked with stars in his eyes, amazed by the speed and power of Kiawe's attack.

"That's Kiawe's Explosion magic." Mallow explained with a smile. "He said it's not easy to control, but he's learned how to use it to move fast. It's actually why he took off his shirt."

"(It makes sense since he was able to get past some of the tests)." Scorbunny said while rubbing his chin in thought.

"Wind Magic: Towering Tornado." Yuno's Grimoire hovering in front of him before a large tornado suddenly appeared under Kiawe, trapping the teen within.

"Woah, do you feel how strong that is?!" One of the examinees exclaimed as they covered their face, shocked by the amount of power in Yuno's spell.

'_Damn, he's trying to cut off the air so I won't be able to use my explosions.' _Kiawe thought with an irritated expression as he felt himself being pulled up.

"It seems Kiawe is trapped." Charlotte pointed out with a stoic tone.

"Keke, it's over before it even gets interesting." Jack added with a wave of his hand.

*Boom*Boom*Boom*

However, they were soon caught off guard by the sound of multiple explosions WITHIN the tornado.

"What's going on?" Finral asked in utter confusion.

"It looks like he's trying to break the tornado from inside, or at least making a small opening to get out. He's strong. Maybe he'll be my friend." Gordon said in a VERY quiet tone, which no one heard. Yami just kept his eyes on the match while blowing out some smoke.

"Explosion… Magic…" Then, multiple red lights began to circle around the tornado, making Yuno narrow his eyes.

"(Kiawe, be careful)!" Turtonator called out, even though he knew his partner couldn't understand him.

"(Why would he say that?... Unless)!" Rowlet exclaimed with big eyes before he began pecking Yuno's head. "(We need to move)!"

"Firefly!" It was too late as Kiawe shouted out a single word.

*BOOM*

The glowing lights began glowing brighter before erupted in a series of smaller explosions, though they all enveloped the Towering Tornado. Yuno and Rowlet flew back, but not without taking some damage. The spell soon wore off, allowing Kiawe to land on his feet, though he did cough a bit from the smoke. "Damn. I knew something like that would happen." He admitted while coughing a bit more.

"I see. He attempted to destroy the spell from within by using smaller explosives before using them in one massive blast. Though it is a reckless move, it isn't terrible either." Nozel commented.

"(More. Show use more fire)!" Charizard roared, his blood boiling from the fight so far..

"Now then... " Kiawe rolled his neck before giving Yuno a glare. "Let's keep going."

"Rowlet, Leafage!" Yuno ordered before unleashing a straight tornado at Kiawe. Rolwet began spinning in the air before unleashing a barrage of glowing leaves. Both attacks soon merged as they moved towards Kiawe.

"Turtonator, use Dragon Tail!" Kiawe shouted as his Pokemon jumped between him and Yuno's attack. Crouching down on all four limbs, Turtonator began wagging his tail several times, allowing it to glow a bright orange. Then, with surprising skill, Turtonator began spinning like a top, with his tail creating a sort of ring. With a battlecry, Turtonator's Dragon Tail clashed with Yuno's tornado, creating large gusts of wind.

'_He trained his Pokemon well. To be able to handle our combination attack.' _Yuno thought with narrowed eyes before he saw Kiawe leap in the air.

"Explosion Magic!" Kiawe's Grimoire opened up in front of him. It was a deep red book with an explosion insignia on it while it glowed red. Putting his hands together, Kiawe began charging his magic into his palms. He then thrusted his hands forward. "Big Bang!" With that, a large explosion erupted from his hands, straight towards Yuno.

"Wind Creation Magic: Swift White Hawk!" Quick to think, Yuno created a large hawk made out of magic, sending it towards Kiaw's Big Bang. Both attacks clashed, creating an even bigger explosion. "Rowlet, Peck!"

"(Here I come)!" Rowlet flew back a bit before he divebombed towards Turtonator. He knew their size difference might cause some issues, but he made a promise to Cutiefly and he wasn't going to let her or Yuno down!

"Turtonator… Shell Trap." Kiawe said in a serious tone, getting a confident smile from the fire turtle as he turned around, his shell facing Rowlet.

"(Why point his shell? Is it that strong)?" Rookidee asked with a tilt of his head. Rowlet didn't stop as he struck the middle of Turtonator's shell as strong as he could, though it barely did any damage.

That is… until he grazed one of the spikes.

Turtonator's whole shell began to glow, shocking Rowlet.

"(OH NOOOOOO)!" Rowlet shouted as he quickly began to fly away.

*BOOM*

However, he was still caught in the blast of Turtonator's Shell Trap, his back being scorched. "ROWLET!" Yuno shouted in concern, quickly using his magic to create a sort of magic wind cushion, catching his partner. "Are you alright?"

"(Y-Yeah… I'm sorry)..." Rowlet apologized while wincing at the pain on his back. He should have known something like this would happen, yet he got arrogant.

"Oh man…" Asta muttered with a saddened tone, seeing Yuno's prime partner being taken down. Scorbunny was on the same boat, frowning deeply at Rowlet's defeat.

"Towering Tornado!" Yuno quickly extended his arm, causing another large tornado to appear.

"That won't work!" Kiawe shouted as he jumped back from the attack.

Yet… it wasn't for him.

"(OH NO)!" Turtontator was slowly beginning to push back from Yuno's spell. Despite how heavy he was(something he wasn't proud of), the Towering Tornado began to lift him up, making him wave away in shock. "(I DON'T LIKE HEIGHTS! I DON'T LIKE HEIGHTS)!" With a thrust of his hands, Yuno sent Turtonator flying, causing him to crash onto the ground with a loud thud.

"Turtonator!" Kiawe shouted, shocked to see his partner on the ground.

"Woah! Did you see that?!"

"He just threw that Turtonator like it weighed nothing!"

"The four leaf must've given him a lot more power." Yet again, the other examinees began talking about the power Yuno has.

"(Now both sides lost their Pokemon)!" Rookidee shouted, his anticipation growing.

"(Please get up, Turtonator)!" Bounsweet cheered her friend, though he struggled to stand due to being on his back.

"You'll pay for that!" Now filled with anger, Kiawe launched himself towards Yuno, who threw sharp slashes of wind. However, Kiawe slammed his left hand on the ground, sending up flying up, dodging Kiawe's attack. "Explosion Magic: Advanced Charge!" Aiming his right hand at Yuno, only this time it was glowing a much brighter orange magic, Kiawe fired a much larger explosion, the strength behind it actually sending him flying back. Yuno skidded back, his feet dragging onto the ground, his left sleeve burned from the blast.

"Wind Magic: Gale White Bow!" Using his uninjured arm, Yuno created a large white bow made of wind before launching a large wind arrow. Gritting his teeth, Kiawe fired some more explosions from his hand, clashing it against Yuno's attack. Though he was able to buffer the damage, he still landed on the ground.

The battle was far from over.

Kiawe blasted Yuno with a close range explosion.

Yuno blew him back with several whirlwinds.

Kiawe unleashed another Big Bang attack, forcing Yuno in the air.

Yuno, in response, used Wind Blades Shower to distance himself from Kiawe.

The whole time, the arena began turning more and more into a battlefield, with some of the examinees being forced to take cover.

"THIS IS CRAZY!" Asta shouted, blocking some debris with his sword. His Pokemon, Cutiefly and even Mallow hid behind him for cover. Yuno and Kiawe both stood on opposite ends, panting heavily with several tears on their clothes. Neither knew how long they had been fighting for, yet it didn't seem to matter to them.

Kiawe let out a deep breath, stream escaping his mouth as his hair seemed to be glowing a faint red aura, something the Captains noticed.

Yuno, on the other hand, was glowing a pure green aura, with some rocks moving away from him.

"WE'RE NOT DONE!" Both Yuno and Kiawe launched themselves towards the other, ready for another clash.

That would be the case… had it not been for the branches that were wrapped around him, keeping them in place.

"I think that's quite enough, gentlemen." Vangeance spoke up with a smile, though Chestnaught was next to him, with his hands on the ground. "I'm sure none of us would want the arena destroyed, now would we?" Both young men looked around and realized just how far they had been fighting.

Multiple cracks were scattered along the ground, with some even being removed all the way. The examinees were all looking at them with shocked eyes, amazed by the power both showcased.

"O-Oh… I'm sorry, sir." Kiawe told the captain of the Golden Dawn with a look of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." Yuno added with a small bow. William smiled before he nodded towards Chesnaught, who released the two teens from his Frenzy Plant move.

"(Honestly, did they have to be so reckless)?" Chesnaught said with a sigh. He had to admit they were strong, but going this hard was not going to help with their chances of getting selected.

"Since both Pokemon have been defeated while both mages are still standing, we will conclude that this match is a draw!" Vangeance declared as Yuno and Kiawe helped their Pokemon move away from the center.

*SMACK*SMACK*

However, what neither of them expected was a bonk to the head, courtesy of an angry Mallow. "Did you REALLY need to go that far, you two?! Look at all the damage!" Mallow shouted while puffing her cheeks. However, the two ignored her as they leaned against the wall, waiting for the recovery mages to come heal them.

"But that was awesome! You two were great out there!" Asta cheered with big stars in his eyes. "Kaiwe, your magic is so cool! Man, I wish I could've seen more! And Turtonator and Rowlet were also great!"

However, Yuno and Kiawe didn't seem to respond to the praise as they looked at one another. The fight might have ended in a draw, but they knew one thing.

'_This wasn't over.'_

'_Later that day'_

After what seemed like forever, the last of the fights concluded and everyone who fought, as well as their Pokemon, were all healed up. With the sunset illuminating the sky, William Vangeance spoke once again to the examinees.

"And that concludes the exam. Once your number is called, please step forward to learn your results." Vangeance said as everyone grew quiet.

"If a captain wants you on his or her squad, they will raise a hand. That means you're in." Charlotte began explaining while standing up. "If you do not wish to join a squad, you may decline. If you are chosen by more than one squad, it is up to you to decide which you would join."

"However." Fuegoleon cut in with a serious tone. "If no squad wants you, you will not be a Magic Knight."

"In which case, you will leave at once." Nozel finished with a tone of finality. Of course, those words did little to help calm everyone's nerves, especially Asta's. Though he did well with the battle bracket and the Pokemon tests, he still felt like he was teetering on the edge. Scorbunny and Rookidee felt the same way, though they kept a strong face to help with their human partner.

"Examinee number one, stand forward please." One of the magic knights called out as a young man and his Spoink stepped up. However, no Captain raised their hands, causing him and his Pokemon to walk away with downcast expressions.

"Examinee number two, no hands!"

"Number forty, no hands."

"Number sixty seven, no hands."

For the past few minutes, multiple examinees were shot down almost immediately. However, when the seventy first examinee stepped forward, they were chosen by the Purple Orcas, which made everyone sigh in relief.

"Wow, this is getting intense." Mallow whimpered with a scared tone.

"(Don't worry, Mallow. I'm sure we'll get called… maybe)." Bounsweet tried her best to calm Mallow, yet all she really did was add pressure to herself.

"Just stay calm. Showing fear would only make it harder for them to choose you." Kiawe explained in a much more confident tone. However, even HE felt somewhat nervous, but if he knew a certain captain as well as he thought he did, then the squad he wanted to be a part of was for the taking.

"Next is number one sixty four." Yuno grabbed his necklace, hearing his number finally being called out.

"Here." Yuno spoke up as he walked forward with a determined glare, Rowlet and Cutiefly resting on his shoulders.

"(He better get a good squad)." Scorbunny said out loud with narrowed eyes. He might favor Asta more, but he knew how strong Yuno was at magic, so he was expecting him to go far as well.

"Do we have any hands?" The magic knight called out before the expected happened.

EVERY captain present raised their hands. Even their Pokemon joined in, showing how impressed they were of Yuno and his Pokemon.

"Woah, all of the captains raised their hands!"

"Impossible!"

"Has that ever happened?"

Of course, everyone began muttering how amazing it was for Yuno to get all the attention of the captains. They thought only royals were accepted into the Golden Dawn and Silver Eagles, yet they were wrong.

"(Wow, this is amazing)." Rowlet gushed with an embarrassed blush, not expecting the attention everyone was giving him, Cutiefly and Yuno.

"(That just shows how amazing we all are)." Cutiefly said with a hint of arrogance, despite not doing much in the long run.

'_I have to choose a squad that best suits me.' _Yuno thought before he opened his mouth. "Me and my Pokemon would be honored to join the Golden Dawn." William smiled and Chesnaught gave a smirk, satisfied with Yuno's choice.

"(WHAT'S WRONG WITH OUR SQUAD, YOU COWARD)?!" Chairzard roared while glaring menacingly at Yuno.

"(THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN US?! COME UP HERE AND FIGHT)!" Haxorus added while showing his claws, making Cutiefly hide behind her human partner.

"Oh well, they nabbed a good one." Finral relented with a casual smile.

"(Agreed, though it may be the best for him)." Kadabra said with a sagely nod.

"I wanted him to be our friend." Gordon whispered, obviously disappointed.

"Well, what can you do?" Yami shrugged off. He did see potential in Yuno, but there was no pointing in complaining about it.

"Next is number one sixty five." The magic knight called out as Asta and his Pokemon began to walk up, catching Finral's attention.

"Well, if it isn't the dark horse." He said with a small hint of interest.

'_I've come this far with Scorbunny and Rookidee. We showed them how strong we are.' _Asta thought with his eyes closed before he opened them. _'I can't let Yuno pull ahead now.' _He and the Pokemon soon reached the middle. _'Please, someone pick me.'_

"Do we have any hands?" The magic knight asked the captains.

Shockingly, the only ones that actually RAISED their hands were Yami and Fuegoleon.

"Wow, Asta got noticed!" Mallow said with awe. It wasn't that she didn't believe in Asta, but rather, she was concerned.

"It looks that way." Kiawe said before a small smirk appeared on his face. _'And if he chooses the Crimson Lion Kings, then we'll be able to make each other stronger.'_

"Tch, I bet they only chose him because of his Scorbunny." One of the examinees said in a not so quiet tone.

"No kidding. He barely did anything in the other tests besides that little fight."

"Relying on just your Pokemon? What a joke."

"I bet he gets kicked out by tomorrow."

More and more examinees began badmouthing Asta and his Pokemon, their doubts filling the air with disgust. Kiawe, Yuno and Mallow glared harshly at those who insulted Asta while their Pokemon did their best to stay quiet.

"(Do they really not see how strong Asta is)?" Rookidee said with angry eyes.

"SHUT UP!" Everyone soon grew quiet when Asta roared to the top of his lungs, turning to everyone who was mocking him. "I GOT HERE WITH HARD TRAINING WITH MY POKEMON! I'M NOT JUST GONNA HAVE THEM TO DO ALL THE WORK FOR ME! OTHERWISE, HOW AM I EVER GOING TO BE THE WIZARD KING?!" Asta yelled, his green eyes showing a fiery fury. "IF YOU MAKE FUN OF MY POKEMON OR FRIEND AGAIN, THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO ANSWER TO ME!"

"You really think you'll be the Wizard King?" Yami suddenly spoke up, getting Asta's attention. "The only reason me and Fuegoleon here are even choosing you is because you have a strong bond with your Pokemon, not because of your skill. No one would wanna touch something unknown, especially if it's like your sword." Asta stared at Yami, taking in all his words. "What it comes down to here is magic power, and your Pokemon have a decent amount… unlike you." Yami then stood up, putting a hand on his hip while looking down at the Hage resident.

*WHOOSH*

Suddenly, the air in the colosseum grew heavy as a dark purple aura surrounded Yami. The very ground began to shake under his immense power. Asta let out a gasp while taking an unconscious step back, with Scorbunny quickly following suit. "(T-T-This p-power… it's… so big)." Scorbunny whimpered in fear. Even Yuno and Kiawe felt nervous as sweat began to run down their cheeks. Cutiefly and Bounsweet hid behind their partners while Turonator was frozen in fear.

Then, Yami jumped from his spot, landing just a few feet away from Asta with a loud thud. Due to how close he was, some mages even began to breathe harder than usual.

"Hey! What are you doing, captain?!" Finral called out, shocked to see Yami acting in such a way.

"(Oh dear… this may end badly)!" Kadabra shouted, losing his calm demeanor as he began to calculate ways to stay Yami from killing anyone. Yami ignored the words of protests as he raised his head, staring straight at Asta.

'_It's like magic is coming off him in waves… even if I can't feel it, I know it's big.' _Asta thought while swallowing a lump he didn't know he was holding. Each step Yami took to come near Asta was like a lightning bolt coming close to a village. _'This is the power of a Magic Knight Captain.'_

"So? You still think you can be the Wizard King?" Yami asked while holding his cigarette, not seeing the effect his magic was having. "A kid with zero magic and two decent Pokemon can't take the title of Wizard King. You might as well face the facts. Remember what you said about being the Wizard King?" Yami's eyes began to glow purple, resembling that of a monster. "If you really want that title, then you'll need to be stronger than all nine captains AND their Pokemon. But here you are, standing there with no magic and scared Pokemon. Can you really do it?"

Asta was at a loss for words. He never even thought about it that way. Yes, he knew that Magic Knight Captains were close to being the Wizard King, yet he never thought he would have to surpass all of them. If he trembled in the presence of ONE of them… what chance did he have against the rest? And that wasn't even considering the types of Pokemon they trained and the powers they possessed.

Should he… should he even try?

"(Don't give up, Asta)!"

"(He's all talk! We can do it)!"

Much to everyone's surprise, both Scorbunny and Rookidee stood in front of Asta, staring at Yami with determined eyes. They were beyond terrified, yet the one thing they feared more than anything… was not helping their human partner.

Rookidee only knew Asta for a short time, but he was inspired by how he kept moving on.

And Scorbunny? He had seen Asta grown since he was a young boy. He saw him fall, get knocked around, yet he always stood up with that never give up attitude. Even without magic, Asta was one of the most determined people in the world.

"(WE WON'T LET ASTA GIVE UP ON HIS DREAMS)!" They both shouted as loud as they could.

"Guys…" Asta muttered, touched by their determination. Even if he couldn't understand their words, he could feel their hearts and it moved him greatly. Clenching his fist, Asta looked up and stared at Yami. "Fine. I am magicless and my Pokemon have helped me get this far. I know that and it makes me so made that I put all this pressure on them. But no matter what anyone says, we'll keep going on, making each other stronger. And no matter how many times we might stumble…" He pointed a fist towards Yami before speaking words that were as blazing as fire.

"I WILL BE THE WIZARD KING AND I'LL MAKE MY POKEMON THE STRONGEST THEY CAN BE!"

For a minute, neither side looked away. They kept staring at one another with determined looks. Yami slowly deactivated his magic, but he didn't take his eyes off Asta.

Then… he began to laugh.

"Hahahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!" Yami began laughing as loudly as possible, yet it wasn't one of mocking. It sounded like a genuine laugh, like he heard the best joke ever.

'_(IS HE SERIOUSLY LAUGHING AFTER ALL THAT)?!' _Asta, Yuno, Kiawe and Mallow's Pokemon all thought in unison.

"You know what? I like ya, kid. You and your Pokemon here got guts." Yami admitted while pointing at Asta. "Come join our crew."

"W-What?" Asta questioned, feeling he missed something.

"Don't look like that, kid." Yami said while taking a huff of smoke. "I'm saying join my squad, the Black Bulls. I know you got an offer for the Lion Kings, but you might fit better with us."

"It is still his decision, Yami." Vangeance spoke up, though his tone did hold some level of amusement.

Asta and his Pokemon just stood there, trying to see if this was a dream. They were… they were being asked to join a squad. But the CAPTAIN no less! Sure, he was basically a monster, but he still admitted to being interested in them. Sure, the Crimson Lion Kings sounded nice, but there was something about Yami that caught their interest. Looking at his Pokemon, Asta noticed the smiles on their faces, telling him to accept.

So with a smile, Asta spoke up.

"I choose… The Black Bulls!"

**Jesus… freaking… CHRIST! I never thought this chapter would go on this long, but man… take about going past your limits, huh? Seriously, I thought it was gonna be done around page twenty, but boy was I wrong. Still, it's done and I have no room to complain.**

**As you read the chapter, you noticed how I added some tests for Pokemon. I just felt like Asta could at least GET some points in terms of his Pokemons' strengths and weaknesses. And as for Yuno vs Kiawe… man was I hyped to write it. With Yuno's magic power and Kiawe's speed, it was a FIERY battle… okay, I'll stop. And before you ask… yes, Kiawe's Explosion magic works like like Bakugo's Quirk from My Hero, except he isn't a dick about it. I know you expected a magic based on volcanos… but I never said this was the extent of h**


End file.
